CARPET-WEED FAMILY. Aizoaceae. 



CARPET-WEED FAMILY. Aizoaceae. 



Not a very large family, mostly natives of warm region* 

 Ours are branching herbs, lying mostly on the grounc 

 leaves mostly opposite or in whorls; flowers perfect; sepal 

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

 or many, usually on the calyx; ovary sometimes superioi 

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

 dull little plants, with inconspicuous flowers. 



There are many kinds of Mesembryanthemum, mostl; 

 African; ours are smooth, very succulent perennials 

 without stipules; leaves opposite; calyx-lobes unequal an- 

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

 with the innumerable stamens on the calyx-tube; ovar 

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

 taining many minute seeds, and opening at the top i: 

 rainy weather. The terribly long name is from the Greet 

 meaning ' ' noonday flower. ' ' 



One of the queerest looking plants tha 



*"-plant , it is possible to imagine, the stout stem 



Mesembryanthe- ' . 



mum crystallinum and lar S e flat leaves thickly encruste 

 White, pinkish with millions of small translucent beads 

 Spring resembling glass or ice and giving 



glistening effect to the whole plant. The: 

 cluster especially thickly along the wavy margins and unde 

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

 to the touch, but when they are crushed underfoot the-* 

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

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

 bright-green, the tips and margins tinged with brigh 

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

 sometimes covers the ground for long distances with fla 

 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 plam 



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