NOVITATES AFRICANAE 
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suffusus, vel partibus senioribus pallidioribus subglaucis, ramis virgatis, 
obscure 4-angulatis, ad 5 mm. diam., internodiis ad 4-5 cm., saepius 
1-5 — 3 cm., longis; folia patenti-erecta, semper opposita, teretia vel supra 
parum minus convexa, obtusa, ad 3 cm., saepius 1-5 — 2 cm., longa, ad 
8 mm. diam., vagina linea exarata, 1 — 1-5 mm. longa, vetera diu persis- 
tentia deflexa; cyma irregulariter ramosa, ramis saepe 2-ternatis, bracteis 
interdum haud vere oppositis, parvis; receptaculum clavatum, in fructu 
immaturo succulentissimum, ultra ovarium breviter productum; sepala 
4 suboblonga ecarinata, 2 longiora, ad 7 mm. longa, 2 late membranaceo- 
marginata 4 — 5 mm. longa, post anthesin accrescentia ovarium includentia, 
demum marcescentia, circumscissiliter decidua; petala inferiore parte 
connata, ut videtur angustissima, superne rosea, inferne alba, ca. 1 cm. 
longa; stamina pluri-seriata, petalis adnata, antkeris exterioribus polli- 
neque albidis, interioribus luteis; ovarium supra conico-elevatum, fere 
omnino superum, ovulis axillaribus, seminibus e capsula immatura 
succulenta subcompressis rotundatis, basi truncatis, muricatis, margine 
rotundata cristata vel echinato-tuberculata. 
Cape Province: Western Region; Little Namaqualand, on barren stony 
hills west of Arris Drift, fl. Oct. 1926, N. S. Pillans , 5237. 
Described from living specimens of which the flowers were partly dried 
or crushed in transit. It is closely allied to Mesembrianthemum tetragonum, 
Thunb., and may prove to be only a variety of that species with pink petals. 
Aridaria tetramera, L. Bolus. Fruticulus erectus, sat robustus, glaber, radice 
lignosa crassaque sed tamen haud tuberosa, caule basi ima ad 1-5 cm. 
diam., copiose ramosus, ramis patentibus subdecumbentibus rigidis, vel 
in cultis gracilioribus flexilibusque, primariis ad 7 mm., ceteris 2 — 3 mm., 
diam., griseo-brunneis vel saepe atratis, nodis subincrassatis, internodiis 
saepius 1-5 — 2-5 cm., rarius ad 3 cm., longis; folia adscendentia vel 
patenti-adscendentia, supra leviter convexa, subtus rotundata, obscure 
carinata, marginibus plus minusve evidentibus, obtusa vel abrupte 
subacuta, basin versus leviter angustata, breviter connata, vaginis 1 — 2 
mm. longis, minute papillata, glauco-viridia rubro-apiculata, saepius 
1-5 — 2 cm. longa, rarius suprema ad 2-5 cm. longa, ad 4 mm. lata dia- 
metroque, cum aetate indurata, diu persistentia, reliquis subspini- 
formibus, saepe subspinescentibus atratisque, 1 — 2-5 cm. longis; flores 
3-nati, lateralibus tardissime evolutis, vel abortione solitarii, meridie 
expansi, sine sepalis 2 — 2-3 cm. diam., pedunculis brevissimis, in vagina 
foliorum inclusis, lateralibus parum longioribus; receptaculum tur- 
binatum, apice 8 mm. diam. ; sepala 4, inter se valde inaequilonga, 
longiora variabilia, nunc 7 mm., nunc ad 1*5 cm., longa, foliis simillima, 
breviora late membranaceo-marginata, 4 mm. longa; petala numerosa, 
anguste linearia, obtusa vel acuta, straminea, ad L2 cm. longa, 0-5 mm. 
7-2 
