1006 



MEETENSIA 



■ Kill, full sunshine 



1..;. r. Iii;lit lilue, and 

 uiiu^-u uf J/. 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. 



Fls. tr 



pulmonarioldes, 

 1394. Vireinian Cowslip or Blue Bells Roth. (U. Virghiica, 

 — Mertensiapulmonarioides (XM). DC). VIRGINIAN 

 Cowslip. Blue 

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

 vate or oblong, or the lowest large, 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 (asPulmo'naria). B " ~~ 



p. 173. V.3:181; 7:244; 

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

 prominent spreading lobes: filaments shorter 

 than the anthers or only a little longer. 

 B. Tube of corolla S or S times as long as the bell. 

 oblongifdiia, 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 tu-ice as long as the bell. 

 c. Calyx-lobes obtuse, oblong. 

 Sibfrica, 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 

 ty some American dealers. 



oc. Calyx-lobes acute, lanceolate or linear. 

 panioulata, 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. 2:140 (as Pulmonaria 

 paniculata) . 



M. umlyrAtilis, 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 BVTTOS is Mchinocactus Williamsii. 



MESEMBEYANTHEMUM (Greek, midday flower: 

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

 Finiid((r, or MeseiiibryacecF. Fig Marigold. The type 

 genus of a family of something more than 20 genera and 

 about 500 species, widely distrilnitcil in .Iry tr'i|.ical and 

 subtropical regions. Of the c.tli- r _-> im im known to 

 horticulturists, only Tetragoniaaii-I s. -ii\ lum ;cripromi- 

 nent, and even these are relativ.ly unii]i|H,ii:iT]t. Mes- 

 embryanthemum itself Includes solue :100 species, nearly 

 all of which are South African, according to Sender 

 -'abounding throughout the arid plains and sands of the 



MESEMBRYANTHEMUM 



whole country to the south of the Orange river and 

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

 scribed by Bentham in Flora Australi.nsis. Two (J/. 

 cryslalliinnii an.l .r,j„ilaf, r„l, ) ar.- jiativ in California. 

 Others u.-.-ur in N.w Z.alan.l. i 'anai-iis, Arabia and the 

 Meditenani an n -i,.n. 'I'lny air --.u.-.nil. nt jilants, mostly 

 herbs, but suuie are shrubs. Tin y are allied botanically 



of 



iiy. 



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

 lents." Very few are in the iri-neral trade. altlniui;h a 

 number are advertised in iilii n i:, :,ri.i ..li.c i- an- in 

 botanic gardens. Usuall\ rli i , : iiL'ht 



sunlight, but there are a !•■ ^ i -. ,i_ ;. m-s. 



As with most succulents. 111. ^,.,,;. ^ ,,, i ..i \' , ii nn.iiT- 

 stood botanically, owing lar::. i\ n. :]f .ninruiiv m mak- 

 ing herbarium specimens. .M.in\ d tin in are of odd 

 and grotesque form. One sii.ri.s, .1/. rriixfallinum, is 

 a common house pl.int, ll(•in^' km.wu as 1,-e Plant, but it 

 is one of the least sh.wx- in |i,i>> ,-r. It is grown for the 

 thick glistening til III J. I: i paijates readily by seed 

 or division. Tin- i ;i.i|'ount of the Mesem- 



bryanthemums iss.,,, -ritionof the S. African 



can species (29:: Mimiiii- m llora Capensis, Vol.11 

 (1861-2) L. H. B. 



In Mesembryantheraum 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 



a!il.i li\ -'Kinii trie property." The following species are 

 S. All hall mil. ss otherwise noted. Mostly perennials. 

 .MijMjiuljijanthemum, 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 

 Iilants with thii-k, fleshy leaves, and are therefore able 

 li' -taiiil tin- ^r\i-re drought they have to put up with in 

 tlii.-.i aiiil |i|a.i.s. Knowing that these plants delight in 

 dry. ariil 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. tricolonim are good showy annuals. Propagation 

 is effected either by cuttings or by seeds. Cuttings should 

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

 are inserted in sand. Robert Cameron. 



acinaciforme, 10. densum, 33 



aeutangulum, 22. depressum 



wquUaterale, ' ~ " ' "" 



edule, 13. 



angustum, 4. 



pomeridianum, 25. 



pustulatum, 8. 



rubrocinctum, 11. 



speetabile, 19. 



stellatum, 32. 

 floribundum. 30. stipulaceum. 23. 



aureum. 15. geminatnm, 21. subcompressmn, 29. 



barbatum, 31. glabrum, 26. tigrinnm, 1. 



blandum, 18, inclaudens, 17. tricolor, 9, 



cordifolium, 27. lingujeforme, 5. tricolonim, 9. 



crystallinum, 24. mutabile. 16. variegatum, 27 



euitratum, 6 muricatum, 20. 



