MESEMBRYANTHEMUM POMERIDIA'NUM. 
AFTERNOON FIG MARIGOLD. 
Class. Order. 
ICOSANDRIA. PENTAGYNIA. 
Natural Order. 
FICOIDE®. 
Native of 
Height. 
Flowers in 
Duration. 
Introduced 
C.G.Hope. 
1 foot. 
July & Auw. 
Annual. 
in 1774. 
No. 715. 
Mesembryanthemum, although a word of objec- 
tionable length, is of easy pronunciation, and is 
perfectly harmonious. It is composed of two Greek 
words MESEMBRIA and anthemon, signifying mid- 
day flower. It is, indeed, to the sun in its zenith 
that this flower pays particular court; it then 
spreads forth its brilliant petals — bright and glossy 
as burnished gold; a prettier object is rarely cul- 
tivated. The specific name, pomeridianum, is 
somewhat opposed to its generic name, meaning 
post-meridian, or afternoon. It is intended to indi- 
cate the protracted expansion of its flowers. 
We purchased seeds of this annual plant under 
the name of Mesembryanthemum glabrum, but 
found the produce to be neither the species gla- 
brum, nor a variety of the present species which 
is sometimes distinguished by such name. The 
plants were raised in a hotbed, potted singly, and 
in June part of them turned into the borders, where 
they grew and flowered ; but the brightness of their 
flowers suffered much from rain, therefore to be 
seen in perfection they should be retained in the 
hotbed, or have other protection. 
Don’s Syst. Bot. 3, 150. 
