MESEMB11YANTHEMUM. 277 



One of the most popular kinds of the Mesembryanthe- 

 mums is the M. Crystallinum, Ice-plant, or Diamond-fig 

 Marygold, of which the leaves, stems, and buds are ap- 

 parently covered with ice. French, la glaciale : Italian, 

 erba crystall'ma. It comes from the neighbourhood of 

 Athens. This plant must be raised in a hot-bed ; but, if 

 not intended for seeding, may be placed abroad in May, 

 and will preserve its beauty till late in the autumn. It is 

 chiefly for the ice-like surface that it is admired ; the flowers 

 are trivial. It must be very cautiously watered, and only 

 often enough to preserve the earth from becoming an ab- 

 solute dust. 



The M. Frequentiflora is, as its specific name implies, 

 a frequent flowerer, but it must not be kept too warm, or 

 it will not satisfy this expectation ; it must merely be shel- 

 tered from frost and wintry winds. 



The M. Variabile flowers in June, July, and August. 

 It frequently changes its colour ; on first opening, it is 

 orange or saffron-coloured, then yellow, which fades al- 

 most to a white, with a tinge of red, and a red midrib, and 

 at last a fleshy white, and rubicund on the outside. The 

 M. Versicolor is rubicund in the morning, pale silvery in 

 the middle of the day, and rubicund again in the evening. 



M. Polyanthon makes a brilliant show in August. M 

 Emarginatarn flowers from June to August. M. Speciosum 

 is one of the most beautiful of them all, and flowers freely. 

 M. Floribundum flowers from May to October in a most 

 exuberant manner. M. Striatum blossoms also from May 

 to October very liberally ; and so great is the demand for 

 this species, that a nursery-florist, near Hammersmith, has 

 been said to sell 7000 pots of it annually. 



M. Bracteatum flowers from August to January ; M. 

 Stellatum from August to November ; M. Inclaudens 



