Mesembryanthemum

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Mesembryanthemum >

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Read about Mesembryanthemum in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Mesembryanthemum (Greek, midday flower; the flowers usually open in sunshine and close in shadow). Sometimes spelled Mesembrianthemum. Aizoaceae. FIG-Marigold. Mostly low-growing succulents, grown as pot subjects under glass or in window- gardens and sometimes planted out in summer; some kinds are good bank-covers in mild climates. Annual or perennial prostrate or erect herbs, and sometimes subshrubs, with thick fleshy usually opposite lvs. which are 3-angled, terete or flat, and with entire or more or less spiny margins: fls. white, red or yellow, mostly terminating the branches, usually opening in full sun but a few expanding in the evening; calyx mostly 5-parted, the lobes usually lf- like and unequal; petals very many, linear, in 1 to many rows, united at the base; stamens very numerous, also in many rows and united at base; ovary mostly 5-celled (but variable): caps. 5- to many-celled, stellately dehiscing at the summit, becoming baccate, hygroscopic; seeds very numerous.—Mesembryanthemum includes some 300 and more species, nearly all of which are S. African, according to Sonder "abounding throughout the arid plains and sands of the whole country to the south of the Orange River and west of the Great Fish River." Four species are described by Bentham in Flora Australiensis. Two (M. crystallinum and M, equilaterale) are native in Calif. Others occur in New Zeal., Canaries, Arabia and the Medit. region. They are allied botanically to the cactaceous series, although lacking the spines of those plants and bearing true lvs. Horticulturally, they are fanciers' plants, and are classed with "succulents." Very few are in the general trade, although a number are advertised in Calif, and others are in botanic gardens. As with most succulents, the species are not well understood botanically, owing largely to the difficulty in making herbarium specimens. Many of them are of odd and grotesque form. One species, M. crystallinum, is a common house-plant, being known as ice-plant, but it is one of the least showy in fl. It is grown for the thick glistening foliage. It prop. readily by seed or division. The best available account of the mesembryanthemums is Sender's elaboration of the S. African species (293 numbers) in Flora Capensis, Vol. II (1861-2), from which the following treatment has been largely taken. Sonder writes that "the caps, are tightly closed in dry weather and open naturally after rain. If thrown into water until it becomes thoroughly soaked and then removed, an old caps, will open out its capillary valves, radiating from a center like a star; and will close them again when dry. This experiment may be repeated several times without destroying their remarkable hygrometric property." In sunny and semi-arid regions the fig-marigolds are very appropriate and attractive, covering the soil with plump foliage and giving a display of brilliant colors. They are also used more or less in bedding-out on south borders and exposures in cooler and moister climates. M. edule has extensively run wild in many parts of the world and is useful in covering banks and holding loose sands. It withstands some frost. Any number of species may be found in the collections of fanciers, and many not described below are mentioned in periodical literature, but they need not be entered here as they are really not horticulturally known. See Succulents. The cultivation of the fig-marigolds should consider their natural conditions. They are found in their native habitats growing most luxuriantly on dry barren rocky places and on dry sandy plains. They are succulent plants with thick fleshy leaves, and are therefore able to stand the severe drought they have to put up with in those arid places. Knowing that these plants delight in dry arid situations gives the key to their cultivation. When grown in pots, care should be taken that the pots are well drained. A light sandy loam, mixed with brick rubbish broken small, makes a good compost for them. In summer they may be placed out-of-doors in a slightly elevated and sunny position, where they will produce an abundance of their showy blossoms. On the approach of cold weather in autumn they may be placed in a cool greenhouse with a dry atmosphere and plenty of air. Very little water is needed during the dull months of winter. Some of the species make good window plants. M. cordifolium var. variegatum is largely grown for edgings for beds. M. pomeridianum and M. tricolorum are good showy annuals. Propagation is effected either by cuttings or by seeds. Cuttings should be dried in the sun for two or three days before they are inserted in sand. In the following account, the species are all South African unless otherwise specified. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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