BOTANIC MATERIA MEDICA. 449 
Materia Medica—ma-te’-ri-a med’-i-ka (Lat. 
materia, substance, and medica). The vari- 
ous substances, natural and artificial, which 
are employed in medicine, anda written book 
treating on the subject. 
Meconic—me-kon’-ik (Gr. mekon,, a poppy). 
An acid found in opium. 
Medullary Rays—med’-u-la’-ri rayz (Lat. med- 
ulla, the marrow in the bones of animals). 
The pith rays of cellular tissue. 
‘Menispermaceez—men’-i-sper’-mi-see-a (Gr. 
mene, the moon and sperma, seed. Anatural 
order of plants whose seeds are crescent 
shape or moon like. 
Merenchyma—mer-eng’-ki-ma (Gr. meris, a 
part or particle, and exgchuma, what is poured 
in). The tissue of plants composed of rounded 
cells. 
Mericarp—mer’-i-karp (Gr. meris, part, and 
karpos, fruit). The half of the fruit of the 
umbelliferous plants as the parsnip, hemlock, 
parsley, etc., so-called seeds. 
Mesocarp—mez’-o-karp (Gr. mesos, middle, 
and karpos, fruit). In botany, the middle of 
the thin layers of a fruit. 
Mesophleum—mez’-o-fle’-um (Gr. mesos, the 
middle, and ph/ozos, bark). The middlelayer 
of the bark of the plant or tree. 
Mesophyllum—mez’-o-fil’-um (Gr. mesos, the 
middle, and phullon, a leaf). The inner por- 
tion of leaves; the parenchymatous tissue be- 
tween the two external coats; the epidermis. 
Mesosperm—mez’-o-sperm (Gr. mesos, the 
middle, and sperma, seed). The middle coat 
of the seed or second membrane. 
