452 A TEXT-BOOK OF BOTANY. 



Mastic. Gr. ^aari^ } from fj.aadufiai t to chew. Used in the East as a 



chewing gum. 

 Matico. Dried leaves of Piper angusti folium. Said to have been named 



from a Spanish soldier, who applied the green plant to a wound and 



stopped the bleeding. 

 Matricaria. Wild chamomile. From Lat, matrix, the womb ; in allusion to 



its supposed effect on that organ. 

 Medicus-a-um. Medical, curative. 

 Melaleuca. Cajaputi. From Gr. ^eAaf, black, + Aewcof, white; the bark 



of the trunk being black, that of the branches white. 



Melilotus. Sweet clover. From Gr. jue^t y honey, + Awrof, a kind of clover. 

 Melissa. Balm. From Gr. pf/uaca, a bee ; the flowers yielding an abund- 

 ance of honey. 

 Menispermum. Moonseed. From Gr. pqvig, crescent, -f oirepjua, seed ; in 



reference to the crescent-shaped seeds. 



Mentha. Mint. The ancient Latin name. From Gr. pivOt), mint. 

 Menyanthes. Buckbean. Probably from Gr. /u.qv } month, -f- avOoc, a flower. 



Perhaps because it blooms for about a month. 



Mercurialis. Mercury. Ancient Latin name of a plant; meaning belong- 

 ing to Mercury, the messenger of the gods. 



Methysticum. Kava-kava. Gr. /ueOvaTiKo?, intoxicating; from peHv y wine. 

 Meum. Spignel. Bearwort. The ancient Greek name (fiijov}. 

 Mezereum. French mczcrcon, from Persian mazriyiui. 

 Microcarpus-a-um. Having small fruit. From Gr. /^/cpo'f, small, -f- 



icapTnif, fruit. 

 Mikania. Climbing hempwood. Named for J. G. Mikan, professor in the 



University of Prague, who died in 1814. 



Milaceus-a-um. Of or pertaining to millet, Lat. milium, millet. 

 Millefolium. Yarrow. The ancient Latin name ; from millc, thousand, -f- 



folium, leaf. 

 Mitchella. Partridge berry. Named for Dr. John Mitchell, a botanist of 



Virginia, eighteenth century. 

 Mitella. Mitrewort. Bishop's cap. Diminutive of Lat. mitra, a cap; 



alluding to the form of the young pod. 

 Mollis-e. Pliant, soft, mild. 

 Monarda. Horse mint. Named for Nicholas Monardes, Spanish botanist 



and author of the sixteenth century. 

 Monniera. Hedge hyssop. Named for Prof. L. Guillaume le Monnier, 



a French botanist of the eighteenth century. 

 Monotropa. Indian pipe. From Gr. ^dwf, one, -f- rpoTr?, a turn ; the 



summit of the stem being turned to one side. 

 Montanus-a-um. Belonging to the mountain, mountainous. 

 Morus. Mulberry. Ancient Latin name for the mulberry tree. 

 Mucuna. Cowhage. From the vernacular Brazilian name. 



