406 Transactions of the Boyal Society of South Africa. 
of the leaves being visible. In this portion, viz., at the apex, the leaf 
possesses no chlorophyll, hence the water-storing tissue is here in direct 
contact with the epidermis, thus being able to diffuse the light that enters 
through the window, before it reaches the green tissue. 
Mesembrianthemum fimbriatum Sond. (See Sonder in Flor. Cap., ii., 
p. 393.) (Amended description.) 
Calyx tubular, membranous, the segments oval, membranous, the 
edges transparent ; petals 15 to 20, connate into a membranous tube, the 
free limb linear, slightly exceeding the sepals, white or cream-coloured ; 
stamens, inch of the yellow, linear anthers, about as long as the sepals. 
Styles 6, yellow, filiform, longer than the petals. Diam. of corpusculum 
3 to 4 mm., exserted part of flower (in wild plants) 3 mm. long. The 
corpuscula are closely pressed against each other, forming hemisphserical, 
cushion-shaped lumps, 1 to 3 inches in diam. ; grey or whitish in appear- 
ance, as the dry sheaths only are visible. 
The plant lives in the fissures of the bare rocks in the coastbelt of Great 
and Little Namaqualand and is able to do without rain, as the spongy 
sheaths and the hairs, which fringe the fissure of the corpusculum, absorb 
sufficient water from dew and mist, both yielding an ample supply in those 
regions. The root-system of each lump is only small. Flowering near 
Angra Pequena in May, 1909. Marloth, No. 4674. 
Mesembrianthemum rhopalophyllum, Schlechter et Diels. (Schultze, 
Aus Namaland und Kalahari, p. 692.) 
The original diagnosis of this species was made from sterile specimens. 
As plants found by me at the same locality as the original specimens, 
viz., in the neighbourhood of the Prince of Wales Bay, in Great Namaqua- 
land, have now flowered in my garden, I am able to add the following 
description of the flowers : — 
Flores solitarii, pendunculis basi bibracteatis folia superantibus. 
Sepala 5, ovata, olivacea, membranaceo-marginata. Petala pluriseriata, 
lineari-lanceolata. Styli 5, fimbriate 
Pedicel about 1 inch long, provided with 2 small, connate, succulent 
bracts at its base. Flowers pure white or tinged with pink ; petals 
12-14 mm., spreading in the sun. Styles short, fimbriate, especially at 
their inner side. 
The leaves of this plant are embedded in the sandy soil like those of 
Mes. marginatum, described in this paper, and they possess a similarly 
constructed apical window through w^hich they receive their light. 
Marloth, No. 4681. 
