1006 



MERTENSIA 



1394. Virginian Cowslip or Blue Bells 

 Mertensia pulmonarioides (X %). 



The common Mertensia is one of the plants that should 

 remain undisturbed for years, and hence is suited to the 

 rockery. Its leaves die down soon after flowering time. 

 The plant should have a sheltered position, full sunshine 

 and rich, loamy soil. M. Sibirica is considered by some 

 even more desirable. The fls. are later, light blue, and 

 not as distinctive in form. The foliage of M. Sibirica 



lasts through the 

 summer. Mertensias 

 may be prop, by seed 

 if sown as soon as 

 ripe, but with uncer- 

 tainty by division. 

 Although of secon- 

 dary importance, 

 Mertensias add vari- 

 ety to the border and 

 are nearly always 

 attractive to plant- 

 lovers. 



A. Fls. trumpet- 

 shaped, the open 

 portion not 

 prominently 5- 

 lobed; filaments 

 much longer 

 than the a n- 

 thers. 



pulmonarioides, 

 Roth. (M. Virginica, 

 DC.). VIRGINIAN 

 C o w s L IP. B L U'E 

 BELLS. Fig. 1394. Very smooth and glabrous : Ivs. obo- 

 vate or oblong, or the lowest targe, rounded and long- 

 stalked; veins conspicuous: fls. generally more nodding 

 than shown in Fig. 1395. Spring. N. Y. to S. C. and 

 Tenn., usually inhabiting low or moist grounds. B.M. 

 160(asPulmonaria). B.B.3:60. Gn. 23, p. 463, and 32, 

 p. 173. V.3:181; 7:244; 11:180, and 12: 140. Mn 4:33. 



AA. Fls. with the upper portion more bell-shaped and 

 prominent spreading lobes : filaments shorter 

 than the anthers or only a little longer. 

 B. Tube of corolla 2 or 3 times as long as the bell. 



oblongifdlia, G. Don. About 9 in. high, smooth : Ivs. 

 mostly oblong or spatulate-lanceolate; veins inconspicu- 

 ous: calyx lobes acute. Western N. Amer. Not easy 

 to cultivate. 



BB. Tube of corolla not twice as long as the bell. 

 c, Calyx-lobes obtuse, oblong. 



Sibirica, G. Don. This and the next grow 1-5 ft. high 

 and have broad, veiny Ivs., the upper ones very acute or 

 acuminate. M. Sibirica is pale, smooth and some- 

 what glaucous : stem-lvs. oblong- or lanceolate-ovate. 

 E. Siberia, Rockies and Sierras. Gn. 18: 259. Offered 

 "by some American dealers. 



cc. Calyx-lobes acute, lanceolate' or linear. 

 paniculata, G. Don. Greener than M. Sibirica, rough- 

 ish and more or less pubescent: stem-lvs. ovate to ob- 

 long-lanceolate. Lake Superior and north, E. Asia. 

 B.B. 3:60. B.M. 2680 and B.R. 2:146 (as Pulmonaria 

 paniculata). 



M. umbrdtilis, Greenm., from Oregon, a recently described 

 species, is offered by Horsford. Allied to M. Sibirica. but has 

 larger corolla and longer lanceolate- acute calyx-lobes. 



G. C. WOOLSON and W. M. 



MESCAL BUTTON is EcUnocactus Williamsii. 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM (Greek, midday flower; 

 the flowers usually open in sunshine and close in shadow) . 

 Ficdidece, or Mesembryacece. FIG MARIGOLD. The type 

 genus of a family of something more than 20 genera and 

 about 500 species, widely distributed in dry tropical and 

 subtropical regions. Of the other genera known to 

 horticulturists, only Tetragonia and Sesuvium are promi- 

 nent, and even these are relatively unimportant. Mes- 

 embryanthemum itself includes some 300 species, nearly 

 all of which are South African, according to Sonder 

 "abounding throughout the arid plains and sands of the 



MESEMBR YAXTHEM UM 



whole country to the south of the Orange river and 

 west of the Great Fish river." Four species are de- 

 scribed by Bentham in Flora Australiensis. Two (M. 

 crystallinum and cequilaterale) are native in California. 

 Others occur in New Zealand, Canaries, Arabia and the 

 Mediterranean region. They are succulent plants, mostly 

 herbs, but some are shrubs. They are allied botanically 

 to the cactaceous series, although lacking the spines of 

 those plants and bearing true leaves. Horticulturally, 

 they are fanciers' plants, and are classed with "succu- 

 lents." Very few are in the general trade, although a 

 number are advertised in California and others are in 

 botanic gardens. Usually the flowers open only in bright 

 sunlight, but there are a few evening-blooming species. 

 As with most succulents, the species are not well under- 

 stood botanically, owing largely to the difficulty in mak- 

 ing herbarium specimens. Many of them are of odd 

 and grotesque form. One species, M. crystallinum, is 

 a common house plant, being known as Ice Plant, but it 

 is one of the least showy in flower. It is grown for the 

 thick glistening foliage. It propagates readily by seed 

 or division. The best available account of the Mesem- 

 bryanthemums is Sender's elaboration of the S. African 

 can species (293 numbers) in Flora Capensis, Vol. II 



(1861-2; 



L. H. B. 



Iri Mesembryanthemum the leaves are mostly oppo- 

 site, entire or the margin somewhat spiny, fleshy and 

 often subcylindrical or triangular in cross-outline ; flow- 

 ers perfect and regular, axillary and solitary or some- 

 what corymbose ; calyx gamosepalous, usually with 5 

 unequal lobes and the tube adnate to the ovary; petals 

 very many, in one or more rows, usually linear, white, 

 yellow or rose-color ; stamens very numerous : ovary 

 most commonly 5-loculed : fruit or capsule opening 

 radially at the summit, hygroscopic: seeds very numer- 

 ous, small. "The capsules are tightly closed in dry 

 weather and open naturally after a rain," writes Sonder. 

 "If thrown in water until it becomes thoroughly soaked 

 and then removed, an old capsule will open out its capil- 

 lary valves, radiating from a center like a star; and will 

 close them again when dry. This experiment may be 

 repeated several times without destroying their remark- 

 able hygrometric property." The following species are 

 S. African unless otherwise noted. Mostly perennials. 



Mesembryanthemum, or Fig Marigold, is a large 

 genus, and the majority of the species are natives of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. They are found in their native 

 habitats growing most luxuriantly on dry, barren, rocky 

 places and on dry, sandy plains. They are succulent 

 plants with thick, fleshy leaves, and are therefore able 

 to stand the severe drought they have to put up with in 

 those arid places. Knowing that these plants delight in 

 dry, arid situations, this gives the key to their cultiva- 

 tion. When grown in pots, care should be taken that 

 the pots are well drained. A light, sandy loam, mixed 

 with brick rubbish broken small, makes a good compost 

 for them. In summer they can be placed out-of-doors 

 in a slightly elevated and sunny position, where they 

 will produce an abundance of their showy blossoms. 

 On the approach of cold weather in the fall they may 

 be placed in a cool greenhouse with a dry atmosphere 

 and plenty of air. Very little water is needed during the 

 dull months of winter. Some of the species make good 

 window plants. M. cordi folium, var. variegatum is 

 largely grown for edgings for beds. M. pomeridianum 

 and M. tricolorum are good showy annuals. Propagation 

 is effected either by cuttings or by seeds. Cuttings should 

 be dried in the sun for two or three days before they 

 are inserted in sand. ROBERT CAMERON. 



acinaciforme, 10. 

 acutangulum, 22. 

 aequilaterale, 12. 

 albinatum, 3. 

 angustum, 4. 

 auranti.icum, 14. 

 aureum, 15. 

 barbatum, 31. 

 blandom, 18. 

 cordifolium, 27. 

 crystallinum, 24. 

 cultratum, 6 



INDEX. 



densum, 33. 

 depressum, 7. 

 edule, 13. 

 elegans, 28. 

 felinum, 2. 

 floribirndum, 30. 

 geminatum, 21. 

 glabrum, 26. 

 inclaudens, 17. 

 linguaeforme, 5. 

 mutabile, 16. 

 muricatum, 20. 



pomeridianum, 25. 

 pustulatum, 8. 

 rubrocinctum, 11. 

 spectabile, 19. 

 stellatum, 32. 

 stipulaceum, 23. 

 subcompressum, 29. 

 tigrinum, 1. 

 tricolor, 9. 

 tricolorum , 9. 

 variegatum, 27, 



