. The vegetable kingdom : or, The structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. curious genus, how-ever, differs a little from the rest of the Order m its perfectly one-celled free ovary, andbarely perigynous stamens. It is however near GUnus, and there does not seem to beany necessity for regarding it as the iy^e of a peculiar Order. The seed-vessels of theFicoids exhibit remarkable phenomena, closmg when placed in water, opening againwhen dried, a hygrometrical quality doubtless connected with their manner of of the dry places of souther
. The vegetable kingdom : or, The structure, classification, and uses of plants, illustrated upon the natural system. curious genus, how-ever, differs a little from the rest of the Order m its perfectly one-celled free ovary, andbarely perigynous stamens. It is however near GUnus, and there does not seem to beany necessity for regarding it as the iy^e of a peculiar Order. The seed-vessels of theFicoids exhibit remarkable phenomena, closmg when placed in water, opening againwhen dried, a hygrometrical quality doubtless connected with their manner of of the dry places of southern Africa, they only expand and discharge theirseeds when rain falls to relax theii tissue, for then only would the seeds be able togerminate. This is more especially evident m M. Tripolium, which has been sold underthe name of Flores Candiae. The hottest sandy plains of the Cape of Good Hope nourish the larger part of thisOrder. A few are found in the south of Europe, north of Africa, Chile, Chma, Peru,and the South Seas. !,• u • The succulent leaves of a few are eaten, as of Mesembryanthemum edule, which is. CCCLVIII. Fig. CCCLVIII.— perpendicularly. 1. its fruit; 2. the same opened; 3. a seed : 4. the same 526 MESEMBRYACEJi. [Perigynous Exogexs. the Hottentots Fig of the Cape colonists ; Mesembryanthemum emarcidum, whenbruised and fermented, acquires a narcotic property, and is chewed Uke Tobacco by theHottentots (Burnett); others j-ield an abundance of soda. M. crystallinum in Spain,and M. copticum and nodiflorum in Egypt, are collected for the purpose of furnishingalkali for glassworks ; the former is called Barilla Moradera by the Spaniards, whoimport large quantities of its ashes from the Canaries, where the seeds are eaten as acommon food, according to Broussonet. Mesembryanthemum nodiflormn is used inthe manufactm-e of Maroquin leather. M. crystallinum (the Ice-plant) is remarkablefor the abundance of watery pustules with which it is covere
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