FIG-MAKIGOLl) TUIF.E. 6l 



of the southern extremity of Africa ; they have fleshy 

 leaves, often of most singular forms, and partake very 

 much of that power of enduring- drought, which, as 

 you have seen, is one of the striking characters of Cac- 

 tuses. Some of their leaves have a cylindrical form, 

 and are terminated by a short tuft of bristles ; in 

 others, the leaves are curved like a Turkish scj-mitar, 

 or fashioned like an axe ; in some, they are rounded, so 

 as to look like green pebbles collected into masses ; 

 and in several they are bordered bv long stiff teeth-like 

 frinofes, and curve together so as to resemble the half- 

 open jaw' of some savage animal, whence the strange 

 names of Tiger-chap, Dog-chap, AVolf-chap, Mouse- 

 chap, and so on, by which different species are dis- 

 tinguished. Moreover, in one species, not a Cape 

 plant, but an inhabitant of the North of Africa, the 

 whole surface of the leaves and stems is raised into 

 minute transparent blisters, so that the plant has the 

 appearance of one of those beautiful French preserved 

 fruits, which glitter all over with crystals of sugar ; 

 this species is known in the gardens by the appro- 

 priate name of Ice-plant (Mesembryanthemum crystal- 

 linum). 



With regard to the fi'uctification of this Tribe, it 

 matters little what species we select. Here is one 

 called in the gardens Villet's Fig-Marigold, nearly 

 allied to M. acinaciforme, or the Scymitar-leaved 

 {Plate XXXI. 2.). It has a succulent calyx of four 

 or five unequal sepals {fig. 2.). Its petals are long, 

 narrow^ numerous, bright rose-colour, and closely 

 packed one over the other in several rows {fg. A. 1.). 



