Tab. 6312. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM Cooperi. 
Native of South Africa. 
Nat. Ord. Fiooide^e. — Tribe Mesembrye.®. 
Genus Mesembryanthemum, Linn. ( Bentli . et Hook. f. Gen. Plant. 
vol. i. p. 853.) 
Mesembryanthemum (Papulosa) Cooperi ; totum creberrime papulosum, glaueum 
herbaceum, perenne, ramosum, ramis decumbentibus, foliis oppositis patenti- 
recurvis semi-teretibus linearibus obtusis angulis obtusis facie subconvexa 
apicibus cylindraceis obtusiusculis glaberrimis, pedunculis terminalibus 
solitariis brevibus cylindraceis 1-rarissime 2-3-floris, floribus 2£ poll, diametr. 
calycis tubo obconico lobis tubo sequilongis subacutis patenti-recurvis 2 ceeteris 
longioribus," petalis exterioribus perplurimis 1-seriatis anguste linearibus 
roseo-purpureis, interioribus (v. staminodiis) multo brevioribus et angusti- 
oribus erecto-recurvis, staminibus confertis, antlieris stramineis, stigmatibus 
5-6 late subulatis. 
This is a very handsome and free- growing species of Mesem- 
bryanthemum , filling a large pot with its blue-glaucous glisten- 
ing stems and foliage, and bearing a handsome purple flower. 
It belongs to the Crassulina group of the Papulosa division, 
but differs very much from all previously described species, 
all of which have very slender stems. Its precise habitat is 
unknown ; it was sent by Mr. Cooper when collecting in 
South Africa for Mr. Wilson Saunders, who, with his usual 
liberality, presented specimens to Kew, which flower an- 
nually in the month of J une. 
Descr. A much-branched quite glabrous decumbent glau- 
cous blue herb, forming large masses, clothed everywhere on 
stem, leaves, and calyx with close-set crystalline papillae. 
Branches as thick as a duck-quill, cylindric, terete, not 
thickened at the nodes. Leaves rather close-set, opposite, 
one and a half to two inches long, spreading and recurved, 
nearly linear, gradually narrowed to the subobtuse apex, 
semi-terete, the angles of the upper surface rounded, very 
AUGUST 1st, 1877. 
