CARPET-WEED FAMILY. Aizoaceae 



CARPET- WEED FAMILY. Aizoaceae. 



Not a very large family, mostly natives of warm regions. 

 Ours are branching herbs, lying mostly on the ground; 

 leaves mostly opposite or in whorls; flowers perfect; sepals 

 four or five; petals numerous, small or none; stamens few 

 or many, usually on the calyx; ovary sometimes superior; 

 fruit a capsule. In this country most of this family are 

 dull little plants, with inconspicuous flowers. 



There are many kinds of Mesembryanthemum, mostly 

 African; ours are smooth, very succulent perennials; 

 without stipules; leaves opposite; calyx-lobes unequal and 

 leaf-like; petals long, narrow and very numerous, inserted 

 with the innumerable stamens on the calyx-tube; ovary 

 with ten or twelve styles, becoming a sort of berry, con- 

 taining many minute seeds, and opening at the top in 

 rainy weather. The terribly long name is from the Greek, 

 meaning "noonday flower." 



One of the queerest looking plants that ' 

 it is possible to imagine, the stout stems 



Mesembryanthc- ' 



mum crystdllinum and lar S e flat leaves thickly encrusted 

 White, pinkish with millions of small translucent beads, 

 Spring resembling glass or ice and giving a 



California glistening effect to the whole plant. They 



cluster especially thickly along the wavy margins and under 

 sides of the leaves, and on the calyxes, and feel quite hard 

 to the touch, but when they are crushed underfoot they 

 exude a watery juice, which is said to be alkaline and 

 injurious to shoe-leather. The stems and leaves are light 

 bright-green, the tips and margins tinged with bright 

 pinkish-red, especially on dry mesas, where this plant 

 sometimes covers the ground for long distances with flat 

 rosettes, forming a thick, red carpet, beautiful in color. 

 In shadier, damper places, such as the crevices in the sea- 

 cliffs at La Jolla, it becomes quite a large, tall plant, 



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