4 i8 MEL-GRASS 



Mel-grass, Ammophila arundinacea Host. 



Melhania Forsk. Sterculiaceae. 25 Afr., As., Austr. 



Meliadelpha Radlk. Meliaceae (inc. sed.). 2 Polynesia. 



Melia L. (BH. incl. Azadirachta A. Juss. q.v. for M. Azadirachta L., 

 the nim). Meliaceae (ill). 12 palaeotrop. Some useful for timber. 

 M. Azedarach L., the beadtree, cult, for its fls. 



Meliaceae (EP., BH.}. Dicots. (Archichl. Geraniales). 40 gen., 600 sp., 

 trop and subtrop. Mostly trees and shrubs, with alt. exstip. pinnate 

 L, and cymose panicles of 5 reg. fls. K (4 5) or 4 5; 4 5; 

 A 8 10 usu. united below into a tube, or sometimes united all their 

 length, in which case the anthers are sessile on the tube; disc present 

 or not ; G 2 5-loc. or rarely i-loc. or more than 5-loc. ; style present 

 or not; ov. in each loc. i, 2, or more, usu. pend. and anatr., with 

 ventral raphe. Capsule, berry, or drupe; seeds often winged, with 

 endosp. Many, e.g. Swietenia (mahogany), Cedrela, &c., yield valu- 

 able timber; the seeds of several are used as sources of oils; others 

 have ed. fr. 



Classification and chief genera (after Engler) : 

 I. CEDRELOIDEAE (sta. free) : Cedrela, Pteroxylon. 



II. SWIETEN1OIDEAE (sta. in a tube ; seeds winged) : Swie- 



tenia, Khaya. 



III. MELIOIDEAE (sta. in a tube; seeds not winged) : Carapa, 



Melia, Azadirachta, Trichilia, Guarea. 



Melianthaceae (EP.\ Sapindaceae p.p. BH.). Dicots. (Archichl. Sa- 

 pindales). 3 gen., 17 sp., Afr. (trop. and S.). Trees and shrubs with 

 alt. usu. stip. 1., and racemes of $ , median-zygom. fls., whose stalks 

 twist through 180 at the time of flowering. K 5 or (5), sometimes 4 

 by union of two sepals; C 4 or 5; disc extra-staminal ; A 5 or 4 or 

 10, free or united at base; G (4 5), 4 5-loc. with one basal or many 

 axile ov. in each loc. ; ovules erect or pend., anatr. with ventral or 

 dorsal raphe according as they are erect or pendulous respectively. 

 Capsule; seed sometimes with aril; endosp. fleshy or horny. Chief 

 genus: Melianthus. 



Melianthus L. Melianthaceae. 5 S. Afr. Fls. very rich in honey. 



Melica L. Gramineae (10). 40 temp., exc. Austr.; 2 in Brit, (melic- 

 grass). 



Melic-grass, Melica. 



Melicnrus R. Br. (Styphelia p.p. EP.). Epacridaceae (3). 2 Austr. 



Melicocca L. Sapindaceae (i). 2 trop. Am., W.I. M. bijuga L. 

 (W. I. ) for timber and fr. 



Melicope Forst. Rutaceae (i). 12 trop. As., warm Austr. 



Melicytus Forst. Violaceae. 4 New Zealand, Norfolk I. 



Melientha Pierre. Opiliaceae. i Cambodia. 



Melilot, Melilotus. 



Melilotus Tourn. ex Hall. Leguminosae (ill. 4). 20 temp, and sub- 

 trop. |^. 3 in Brit, (melilot). The fls. contain much honey, and are 

 visited by bees. 



Melinia Decne. in DC. Asclepiadaceae (n. i). 6 E. temp. S. Am. 



Melinis Beauv. Gramineae (4). 5 trop. S. Am., Afr., Madag. Fodder. 



MelioscMnzia K. Schum. (Chisocheton p.p. EP.). Melia. (in), i N.G. 



Meliosma Blume. Sabiaceae. 55 trop. and subtrop. As. and Am. 



