Plate 78. 

 eoodia digitifolia. 

 Cape Province. 



Picoideae. Tribe Mesembryeae. 



Roodia, N. E. Brown (genus novum). Herba sueculenta, nana, caespitosa. 

 Proles bifoliatae. Pedunculus bracteatus, uniflorus. Calyx in tubum 

 distinctum supra ovarium productus 6-lobus. Petala numerosa, libera. 

 Stamina numerosissima, pluriseriata, omnia a basi in tubum abrupte 

 inflexa, exterioribus brevioribus. Ovarium multiloculare. Stigma parvum, 

 inconspicuum, sessile, integrum. Fructus multilocularis ; loculi alis binis 

 subcbartaceis tecti et dorsum versus tuberculo clausi. 



Roodia digitifolia, N. E. Brown. Planta 8-11 cm. alta, caespitosa, glabra. 

 Proles bifoliatae, confertae. Folia erecta, 8-11 cm. longa, 10-15 mm. 

 erassa, digitiformia, subteretia faciebus interioribus planis, apice obtusis- 

 sima, inferne viridia, superne purpureo-tincta. Pedunculus 3-6 cm. 

 longus, apice 4-5 mm. crassus, erectus, uniflorus, infra medium bibracte- 

 atus, purpureus. Calycis tubus cum ovario 10 mm. longus, 10-11 mm. 

 diametro ; lobi inaequales, 5-8 mm. longi, 5-7 mm. lati, ovati, obtusi vel 

 subacuti. Corolla cireiter 4 cm. diametro ; petala numerosa, subquadri- 

 seriata, exteriora cireiter 15 mm. longa et 1 mm. lata, interiora breviora, 

 linearia, apice obtusa vel dentata, pulcbre purpurea. Stamina numeros- 

 issima, in tubum calycis abrupte et arete inflexa. Ovarium supra con- 

 cavum. Stigma sessile, parvum, inconspicuum. Fructus 12-14-locularis. 



Cape Province : Van Rhynsdorp Division, near Van Rhynsdorp {Mrs. E. Rood). 

 Growing at tbe Division of Botany, Pretoria (Garden No. 403). 



This interesting plant is so like some species of Mesem- 

 bryanthemum in general appearance, that most would unhesi- 

 tatingly place it in that genus. For a long time past, however, 

 as I have elsewhere stated, it has been dawning upon me that 

 Mesembryanthemum, as at present understood, is rather of the 

 nature of a natural order than of a single genus. In vegetative 

 characters it presents a very great amount of variation, and 

 in most cases any particular kind of variation is found to be 

 common to several species, so as to form of them a group, 

 indicating a generic difference from the others. About a 

 hundred years ago Haworth recognised this and gave generic 

 names to some of the groups he had formed, which have 

 neither been accepted nor taken notice of by subsequent 

 authors. 



