Floiocring Plants and Ferns of tJie Cape Peninsula. 265 



FICOIDE^. 



The difficulty in the genus Mesembrianthemum lies in the 

 almost entire loss of colour and form of leaf section in dried specimens. 

 These points, as Vv^ell as the characters of the stamens and styles 

 should be carefully observed before drying. A considerable number 

 of the species we believe we have identified are unrepresented in the 

 Kew Herbarium. Consequently we submit the subjoined names with 

 caution, the notes referring to the specimens we have gathered, and 

 not being intended for revised descriptions of the species. We have 

 in this genus used the ? after the name only in cases of more than 

 ordinary doubt. 



Mesembrianthemum reptans Ait. Dry sandy ground on flats, 

 common ; 7-9. Flowers as commonly white as yellow, rarely pale 

 rose. "Rocks on Lion's Mountain" sounds a most improbable 

 habitat for this species (see Fl. Cap. II. 407). It has sometimes 

 most unaccountably been confounded with M. filicaule. 



2. M. diversifolium Haw. " Sandy places near Green Point, 

 July," Eckl. and Zeyli. Not seen by us. 



3. M. Iseve Thunb. Dry sandy ground, local ? 9-10. Below 

 Slangkop ; Hout Bay; hills west of Simon's Town. Seems to 

 differ from M. validum mainly in number of styles. 



4. M. validum Haw. Sand-dunes, occasional ; 5-7. Muizen- 

 berg ; Fish Hoek. 



5. M. pugioniforme Linn. Sandy places in the flats, common ; 

 9-12. We include M. capitatum Haw. as an inseparable form. 



6. M. SchoUii Salm Dyck. •' Rocky places on the west side of 

 Table Mountain, February,'' Eckl. and Zeyh. Not found by us, but 

 seems very near the next species. 



7. M. sarmentosum Haw. Sandy hill slopes, locally frequent ; 

 7-9. About Red Hill and Smitswinkel Bay ; beyond Sea Point, &c. 



8. M. geminiflorum Haw. Dry sandy ground, locally frequent ; 

 8-9. About the washhouses by the Camp Ground. 



9. M. crassifolium Linn. Muddy and sandy creeks and flats, 

 local ; 9-10. On and about Paarden Island ; Rapenburg Vley ; 

 Kenilworth. 



10. M. dunense Sond. Muddy and sandy creeks, very local ; 

 9-10. Paarden Island, Wolley-Dod, 3370. " Shore near Cape 

 Town," Eckl. Leaves very smooth, shining green, but very closely 

 resembhng the fig. in Dillenius' tab. 201, fig. 257. 



11. M. acinaciforme Linn. Sandy and bushy ground, rather 

 uncommon ; 9-11. Chiefly from Hout Bay and Fish Hoek south- 

 wards. 



12. M. edule Linn. Dry sandy places, very common ; 7-12. 

 Flowers pale yellow fading to pale rose, but only very occasionally 

 pale rose from the first. Very distinct from the last species as a rule. 



