MESEMBRYANTHE M U M. 
170 
of fupporting itfelf upright when tall. Branches woody, 
dark brown, flender, long, not crowded ; the young ones 
fomewhat compreffed and greener. Leaves (lightly glau¬ 
cous, fmooth, ereft, between fubtriquetrous and femicy- 
lindric, with acute points, which often affunie a purplifh 
tinge. Flowers large and fpecious, of a very deep orange 
colour, opening very early in the morning if the fun 
fhines, remaining open only a fhort time: quickly folding 
if the fun difappears, or if the plant be removed into the 
open air. It varies with paler flowers. This is one of 
the taller and more upright fpecies, as well as the earlieft 
in point of flowering, producing its bloffoms from Fe¬ 
bruary to May; according to the Kew Catalogue, from 
June to Auguft. Mr. Miller cultivated it in 1750 ; but 
it does not appear in his Diftionary. 
51. Mefembryanthemum ferratum, or ferrate-leaved 
fig-marigold : leaves awl-fhaped, three-fided, dotted, dif- 
tindt, ferrate backwards at the angle of the keel. This 
is an elegant fpecies, three quarters of a yard in height, 
with woody Items, not fo thick as the little finger, and 
not much branched, procumbent, covered with an afh- 
coloured bark. Flowers on the upper branches, folitary, 
terminating, large, of an elegant yellow-colour, compofed 
of two or three rows of petals, the outer longer and flat, 
the inner fuddenly fhorter, more ereft, concave, and at 
their bafe a circle of faftron-coloured anthers on very 
fhort filaments ; the bottom of the flower being void, 
fmooth and even, hollowed out like a difn. They open 
feveral times from eight in the morning to three or four 
in the afternoon, if the fun Urines; and have little fmell. 
Native of the Cape. Petiver received it in flower, in June 
1706, from the Temple-garden; Dillenius received it 
from Holland before 1732, and gives a caution conftantly 
to raife young plants, becaufe the old ones are very apt 
to perifh : it is probably for want of attending to this 
caution, that the fpecies is now fo rare in this country, 
if indeed it be in any of our collections. 
52. Mefembryanthemum micans, or glittering fig-ma¬ 
rigold : leaves fubcylindric, papulofe, diltindt ; Item rug- 
zged. Stems from a foot to two feet in height, procum¬ 
bent, woody and much branched. Branches round, flen¬ 
der. Leaves in pairs, at an inch or an inch and a half 
diftance, an inch in length, thickifh, on an old plant nar¬ 
rower and fhorter, on a young one longer and thicker, 
not quite round, but obtufely triangular, with the angles 
however fo blunt, that they are rather cylindric than 
three-fided ; they are overfpread with glittering fpangles 
of a greenifh-yellow colour. The Items and lower branches 
a re bay-coloured and fmooth ; the upper ones are reddifh 
brown, rough to the touch, with many whitifli dots, which 
were originally fpangles; the peduncles and calyxes 
fhine with fpangles like thofe of the leaves, but thicker. 
Flowers on peduncles from an inch to an inch and a half 
in length ; they are large, concave, with the margin bent 
back, compofed of numerous petals cohering at the bafe, 
gradually fmaller, and filamentofe in the middle, of a dirty 
red colour on the outiide, but within very dark orange- 
coloured, deepeft at the edge; the narrow middle petals 
.next the white filaments being very dark, this flower is 
eafily diftinguifhed from the other forts by this circum- 
ftance. It varies with paler, fmaller, flowers. Native of 
the Cape. It flowers from May to Auguft. 
53. Mefembryanthemum groflum, or gouty fig-mari¬ 
gold : leaves fubcylindric, cluftered, papulofe; trunk 
fhickened at the bafe; branches diffufed, fmooth. Na¬ 
tive of the Cape ; flowers from Auguft to Odtober. 
54. Mefembryanthemum brachiatum, or three-forked 
.fig-marigold: ftem and leaves cylindric, papulofe; branches 
trichotomous. This is a branching divaricating flirub, 
found alfo by Malfon at the Cape, and flowers in July and 
Auguft. 
55. Mefembryanthemum roftratum, or heron-leaved 
fig-marigold: ltemlefs ; leaves femicylindric, connate, 
.externally tubercled. This is a ftemlefs plant, producing 
offsets, which, when the old leaves that enveloped them 
decay, appear like diftindt plants. Dillenius remarks, 
that this fpecies is diftinguifhed from all others by the 
central leaves being long and narrow, not ill reprefenting 
a heron’s bill. Native of the Cape. 
56. Mefembryanthemum compadlum, or dotted thick¬ 
leaved fig-marigold: ftemlefs ; leaves connate, dotted, 
half-round, three-fided at the tip, fomewhat reflex, (harp ; 
flowers feffile ; calyx fubcylindric, fix-cleft. Native of 
the Cape ; flowers in November. 
57. Mefembryanthemum veruculatum, or fpit-Ieaved 
fig-marigold : leaves three-fided, cylindric, acute, con¬ 
nate, bowed, undotted, diftindt. Stem woody, from a 
foot to two feet in height, covered with an afh-coloured 
bark, deformed by age with irregular wide Allures. 
Leaves fo bluntly triangular as to appear to be round, an 
inch and a half or two inches in length, the fize of a fwan’s 
quill, with denfe bundles of other leaves coming out from 
the axils, glaucous, fmooth, appearing pellucid when held 
up to the light; purple at the end, as are alfo the branches. 
The branches and leaves are at fhort intervals ; and, af¬ 
fecting an upright pofition, this plant has the appearance 
of a fhrub, though probably it would be weighed down 
by the number and fize of the leaves and branches. Flow¬ 
ers in a fort of umbel at the ends of the branches from the 
axils of the leaves, fmall, pale yellow, fuelling very fweet. 
It varies with fhorter and more-manifeftly three-fided 
leaves and fewer flowers. Native of the Cape ; flowers in 
May and June. 
58. Mefembryanthemum molle, or foft fig-marigold : 
leaves three-fided, connate, eredt, glaucous, undotted ; 
branches half-round; peduncles axillary, comprefled. 
Native of the Cape, where it was found by Mafl'on. In¬ 
troduced in 1774. 
59. Mefembryanthemum glaucum, or glaucous-leaved 
fig-marigold : leaves three-fided, acute, dotted, diftindt; 
calycine leaflets, ovate-cordate. Stems half a yard high 
and more, woody, with frequent joints, afh-coloured with 
fiflures at bottom, bay-coloured and more fmooth above ; 
the lower and middle branches are twifted, the upper ones 
are ftraight and little divided. Flowers large, pale yel¬ 
low or fulphur-coloured on both fides, fometimes (lightly 
tinged with red on the outfide: they remain expanded 
only a few hours, and contradt about noon ; but open 
feveral times, and have a fucceflion during the fummer 
months. Mr. Haworth remarks, that the flowers are pro¬ 
duced only by old plants, and by them fparingly. Native 
of the Cape. Cultivated in 1696, in the royal garden at 
Hampton Court. It flowers in June and July. 
60. Mefembryanthemum corniculatum, or horned fig- 
marigold : leaves three-fided, femicylindric, rugged-dot¬ 
ted, with a railed line above the bafe, and connate. Dil¬ 
lenius, comparing this with variety / 3 , fays that the items 
are longer, lefs prefled to the ground ; all the leaves at 
the joints are very young, more thick and glaucous ; the 
peduncles not naked, but furrounded by a pair of ihort 
leaves ; the flower of a deeper yellow colour, with a red 
line along the back; in |3 this inclines more to purple, 
and fhines through the tips of the petals ; ftamens nu¬ 
merous, neither colledted nor much fcattered, yellowifh 
with whitifli antherre. The flowers continue fome days, 
and expand about noon ; they are flat, the fize of thofe of 
dandelion. Stems half-eredt or reclining, fcattered, round 
at top, ftriated and fomewhat angular at bottom, woody, 
a palm or a long fpan in length, not much branched, nor 
throwing out roots at the joints. 
1 3 . M. diveriiphyllum. This throws out many procure.. - 
bent branches, tough at the lower part, but not properly 
woody ; herbaceous at the upper part; about three inches 
in length, round or fliglitly angular, jointed at fliort in¬ 
tervals, with bluntly-triangular leaves, from which other 
leaves fpring in bundles, of the fame form but fnorter; 
the root-leaves and thole at the bafe of the branches are 
remarkably long. The leaves bend like the horns of kine, 
whence the trivial name (corniculatum); they are fome • 
what glaucous, become foft and flaccid, and then appear 
marked 
