io8 
F. E. Weiss and R. H. Yapp. 
Next to the Compositae must be mentioned the Aizoaceae. 
According to Bolus 1 this family, which is chiefly a South African 
one, forms about 8-3% of the whole Karroo flora, the chief genus 
alone, Mesembriantlicmum, being represented by seventy species. 
Many of the low-growing species of this genus were flowering 
during August, the patches of crimson, pink or yellow flowers 
forming a brilliant contrast to the prevailing dullness of the 
vegetation. 
With the exception of Galenia africana (Fig. 3, PI. V.), a much 
branched shrub with ericoid leaves, those members of this family 
which we observed were succulents belonging to the genus Mesem- 
briantliemum. Some were shrubs of a considerable size, e.g., the 
species with succulent stems and reduced leaves seen in Fig. 2, 
PI. V., and M. spinosum, with succulent leaves and a spiny inflores¬ 
cence (Text-fig. 19). M. minimum is another interesting species 
with its diminutive shoots and connate pairs of leaves." 
Fig. 19. Mesembriantheinwn spinosum. (Slightly reduced). 
One species of Mcsembriantheinum had a thick, fleshy tap-root, 
while another showed two distinct root-systems (Text-fig. 20). One 
1 Bolus, loc. cit., pp. 225-6. 
2 This species lias the habit of .1/. obconcllnm , see figures and 
description of the latter in Goebel, Pfianzenbiologische 
Schilderungen, Part 1., p. 49, Figs. 21 and 22. 
