NO VI TATES AFRICANAE 
91 
Mesembriantliemum indecorum, L. Bolus. Fruticulus erectus robustus glaber, 
30 cm. altus vel parum ultra, ramis patentibus vel adscendentibus rigidis, 
ramulis permultis adscendentibus, sat brevibus, internodiis 0-7 — 2-5 cm. 
longis; folia fere erecta, apice uncato-recurva, carinata, supra plana, 
lateribus leviter convexis, sensim superne attenuata, glauca levia, ad 
2- 1 cm. longa, basi 3 mm. lata, saepius ad 3 mm. diam., basi connata, 
vagina vix tumida, 2 mm. longa vel junioribus ad 3 mm. longa, linea 
longitudinali inconspicua; flores minimi in genere, numerosissimi, 3 — 4- 
ternati, meridie expansi, 0-8 — 1 cm. diam., pedunculis 5 — 7 mm. longis, 
medio bracteatis; receptaculum brevissimum subcrateriforme; sepala 5, 
inter se subaequilonga, lanceolata vel ovato-lanceolata, acuta, 3 anguste 
membranaceo-marginata, 4 mm. longa; petala ca. 20, 1-seriata linearia 
obtusa, albida inconspicua, sepalis aequilonga, vix 1 mm. lata; stamina 
conico-collecta, apice 1 mm. diam., staminodiis albidis, dimidio superiore 
purpureis circumdata, filamentis albidis, apice dense barbatis, antberis 
pollineque brunneo-purpureis; discus conspicuus annularis crenulatus; 
ovarium supra leviter convexum, stigmatibus anguste subulatis, vix 
2 mm. longis. 
Cape Province: South-Western Region; Cape Div., at the roadside 
between Cape Town and Melkbosch Strand, about 20 miles from Cape 
Town, fl. Sept., L. Bolus (Bolus Herbarium, No. 17418). 
A distinct species, not fitting exactly into any of the known sections of 
the genus, and being nearest to the § Tumidula. The name, indecorum, 
alludes to the modest flowers which would be most inconspicirous were 
it not for the purple of the staminodes. 
Mesembrianthemum cupulatum, L. Bolus (§ Tumidula). Fruticulus erectus 
robustus, 20 cm. altus vel ultra, ramis adscendentibus rigidis griseis, ad 
6 mm. diam., ramulis floriferis saepe 10 cm. longis, internodiis 1-5 — 3 cm. 
longis; folia fere erecta vel saepius, axillis gemmiferis, patenti-erecta, 
carinata, carina minutissime cartilagineo-serrulata, supra plana, lateribus 
leviter convexa, acuta apiculata, apiculo recurvo, tactu velutina tamen 
glabra, luteo-viridia, 1-5 — 2 cm., rarius ad 3 cm., longa, 3 — 4 mm. lata 
diametroque, vagina leviter tumida, 3 — 5 mm. longa, linea longitudinali 
inconspicua; flores 3-ternati cymam densam formantes, meridie expansi, 
ad 2-8 cm. diam. ; pedunculi ultimi teretes, apice subconstricti quasi 
articulati, 1-5 — 2 cm. longi, omnes medio bracteati, bracteis concavis 
cupuliformibus, marginibus membranaceis, 6 — 9 mm. longis; recepta- 
culum subcrateriforme; sepala 5 — 6, 5 inter se subaequilonga, sextum 
deminutum, oblongo-lanceolata vel oblongo-ovata, apiculato-acuminata, 
3 — 4 membranaceo-marginata, membrana alba, 7 — 9 mm. longa; petala 
permulta, inter se fere aequilonga, linearia, inferne parum attenuata, 
apice saepissime inaequaliter dentata, 1 — 1-2 cm. longa, vix ad 1-5 mm. 
