MESEMBRYANTHEMUM PYROP^EUM. 
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ME 8E M BR Y ANTHEMU M P YROP JEUM. 
(Haworth ) 
WHEAT-LEAVED FIG-MARIGOLD. 
There are certain succulent annual and 
biennial plants, whose flowers during hot 
bright summers light up the flower-garden 
with dazzling brilliancy in the clear sunny 
portions of the day. As summer ornaments 
of the greenhouse also, these plants are always 
welcome, their beauty in this case, likewise, 
being principally developed under the direct 
influence of the sun. The various species of 
Portulaca, of tDalandrinia, and the annual kinds 
of Mesembryanthemum serve as illustrations 
of the class of plants now alluded to. 
Among these, the Mesembryanthemum 
pyropmim, represented at the head of this 
article, holds no mean position. Under fitting 
circumstances it dev elopes a large proportion 
of floral beauty ; and though but an annual 
plant, and consequently of limited duration in 
a florescent state, compared with some peren- 
nial kinds, it is well worthy of cultivation, as 
it may be easily raised from seeds, and with 
but little difficulty a succession of lively 
blossom can be kept up through as much of 
the summer as may be desirable. 
The engraving represents the low tufted 
habit of the plant. Its entire height is not 
more than three or four inches, and indivi- 
dual plants do not often extend beyond six or 
eight inches in diameter, and are frequently 
of much less size, this of course depending 
altogether on the degree of vigour imparted 
to their constitution. The leaves are succu- 
lent or fleshy, rough with transparent warty 
excrescences, and of a linear obtuse half-terete 
form. The flowers are about an inch in 
diameter, and are formed of numerous narrow 
linear petals, blunt at the point, and arranged 
48. 
in a ray-like form around a centre of dark 
purple anthers ; they are not quite so evenly 
formed, however, as represented in the en- 
graving ; their colour is a lively rosy purple, 
white at the base, with a polished glittering 
surface, which adds greatly to the brilliant 
effect produced by the plants when in blos- 
som. There are two other forms, one with 
purplish, the other with white flowers. The 
species, which also sometimes bears the name 
of M. tricolor, ranks as a half-hardy annual, 
and, as such, is usually sown in pots, and 
when intended for the flower garden, planted 
out in spring along with other ''bedding out*' 
subjects. It has, however, been recorded to 
have sprung up from self-sown seeds, and 
may, therefore, be sown, if required, in the 
open border. 
Nearly the whole genus of Fig-marigolds 
are inhabitants of the hot arid tracts of the 
Cape of Good Hope, whence also Mesembry- 
anthemum pyr-opreum is derived. It is re*- 
corded as having been introduced about 1820, 
but is not even now commonly known. In 
the natural system of classification the genus 
is made the type of an order, to which the 
name of Mesembryacea3 has been applied. 
The genus contains upwards of three hundred 
recorded species, many of them plants of great 
beauty, and all of very easy culture. 
When intended for pot culture, in order to 
decorate the greenhouse during the summer 
months, the plants should be sown along with 
and receive the same kind of treatment as the 
other annual plants used for this purpose. 
Thus plants raised in March will be now 
(August) gaily adorned with their radian! 
