352 
5 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Meniscium—continued. 
in a loamy soil, and should always be kept moist at 
the roots, without stagnation. For general culture, 
see Ferns. 
M. angustifolium (narrow-fronded). sti. sub-tufted, bin. to 18in. 
long, firm, erect, slightly pubescent. fronds 14ft. to 2ft. long, lft. 
broad; pinne spreading, Ain. to 6in. long, jin. to jin. broad, 
gradually narrowed to a long acuminate point, the edge sub- 
entire, the base cuneate, the lower ones often stalked; fertile 
pinnæ much narrower than the barren ones; rachis pubescent. 
areolæ four to six between the midrib and edge. West Indies to 
Peru. 
M. — igantic). sti. 1ft. long, dark brown, slightly 
pu nt. fronds simple, 14ft. to 2ft. long, Ain. broad, elongate- 
oblong, narrowed rather suddenly at both ends, the edge slightly 
repand. areole thirty to forty between the midrib and edge. 
Peru. A rare species in cultivation. 
M. palustre (marsh). A synonym of M. serratum. 
reticulatum (netted). sti. tufted, 1ft. to 3ft. long, stout. 
fronds pinnate, 2ft. to Aft. long; Ht. or more broad; pinnæ bin. to 
12in. long, lin. to Ain. broad, the apex acuminate, the edge entire 
or sub-repand, the base rounded or cuneate. areola eight to 
twelve between the midrib and edge. Mexico to Peru, 1 
M. serratum peano: sti. 1ft. to 3ft. long, stout. fronds 
pinnase; 3ft. to Aft. or more long, lft. or more broad; pinn lin. 
3in. apart, bin. to 12in. long, zin, to 2in, broad, oblong-lanceo- 
te, the cordate or cuneate, the apex acuminate, the edge 
finely toothed. «areola twelve to twenty between the midrib and 
edge. Mexico to Peru. Syn. M. palustre. 
Fig. 548. MENISCIUM SIMPLEX. 
- M. simplex (simple). rhiz. „„ sti. stra- 
seca of as — fronds 4in. to bin., of the fertile 1ft. or 
more, loi 
3in. broad, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, the base co 
smaller. 
Chusan, Hong Kong, &c., 1850. See Fig. 548. 
M. Thwaitesii (Thwaites’). rhiz. firm, wide-creepi 
to 12in. long, sub-stramineous, nearly naked. fronds Bin. to 10in. 
long, Ain. to Sin. broad, sub-deltoid ; the apex acuminate, crenato- 
-pinnatitid; below this several blunt, linear-oblong, sub-entire 
a — lowest largest, distinctly stalked, 2in. to din, long, Hin. 
bx edge bluntly (not 2 obed; base narrowed suddenly. 
areole and seri four or five in the lower pinn between the mid- 
rip and edge, Ceylon. 
g MI. triphyllum (three-leaved). Ae. firm, wide- ing. sti. 
_ slender, sub-stramineous, of the barren fronds Ain. to “He of the 
i lft. or more, long. fronds with an oblong-lanceolate 
; — 2 aieh. 7 in, long, — to a Dro ene base 
ao ite or ded, e ed repand, and one or two ila: 
pats o ench side, here gnon sailer Than the 
i oe æ si nine ween midri 
An order of trailing (rarely 
y dispersed through most tropical 
Lindley’s menispermal alliance of 
rs diœcious, small, in a panicle, 
. fronds simple; barren ones bin, to gin. „in. to 
and 
sometimes auricled, the edge crenate ; fertile ones similar but | 
areole eight to twelve between the midrib and edge. 
„ sti gin. 
Menispermaceae - continued. 
raceme, or cyme, rarely solitary, sometimes accompanied 
by cordate bracts. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, usually 
palminerved, entire or palmilobed or peltate, rarely com- 
pound (as in Burasaia) ; petiole spuriously jointed at the 
base, and sometimes at the top. The bark of several 
species of this family is extremely bitter; some yield a 
yellow dye. Beer is sometimes adulterated in England 
with Cocculus indicus.. There are about thirty-one genera 
and 300 species. Examples are: Cissampelos, Cocculus, 
and Menispermum. 
MENISPERMUM (from mene, the moon, and 
sperma, a seed; in allusion to the shape of the seed). 
Moon Seed. ORD. Menispermacee. A genus comprising 
only two species of climbing deciduous shrubs, one of 
which is North American, and the other an inhabitant 
of Eastern Asia. Flowers greenish-white, small, panicu- 
late. Drupe compressed. Leaves often sub-peltate, pal- 
mately lobed or angular. The under-mentioned species 
is a very handsome plant for damp and shady walls. 
Propagated by divisions of the root, or by cuttings, in 
spring. 
M. canadense (Canadian). fl. yellowish, borne in profusion on 
long pendulous racemes. Summer. J. large, handsome, reni- 
form, peltate. North America, 1691. (B. M. 1910.) 
MENTHA (the old Latin name, borrowed from the 
Greek name Minthe). Mint. Syns. Audibertia and 
Pulegium. ORD. Labiate. “... A natural genus, not 
numerous in species, but widely diffused over the greater 
part of the globe without the tropics, and most of the 
species, from the variety of situations to which they 
will adapt themselves, vary so much as to render their 
exact definition almost hopeless. Many of them also pro- 
pagate so readily from suckers that individual specimens 
are perpetuated so as to assume the appearance of species. 
Almost all the species vary in the stamens” (Bentham). 
Whorls usually many-flowered, sometimes all remote in 
the axils of the leaves, sometimes approximate into ter- 
minal spikes, with the superior floral leaves bract-formed. 
Only a few of the species are worthy of cultivation. The 
dwarf evergreen kinds are readily increased by division 
of the plants in autumn and winter. For culture and 
uses of Spearmint and Peppermint, see Mint. 
M. citrata (Citron-scented). i ish- 
in round terminat heads. e a a „ 
rounded at the base, or sub-cordate, prous. k. Ift. Europe 
(Britain). SYN. M. odorata, (Sy. En. B. 1029.) 
M. odorata (odorous). A synonym of M. citrata. 
M. fl. purple; spikes loose, 
Autumn. 
piperita (pepper). 
obtuse, short, interrupted at the base. . petiolate, 
ovate-oblong, acute, serrated, roundly crenated at base, 
bro! tem branci h. Ift. to 2ft. 
ritain). (B. M. Pl. 
Pulegium (Pulegium). Penn . pale purple ; whorls : 
all remote, globose, R 3 32 ovate. 
Stem much-branched, prostrate. Europe (Britain), North and 
West Asia, North Africa. (B. M. Pl. 201.) See P. . 
— erate known as x P. gibraltarica is largely r 
— | gardening. t has a dwarf, compact growth, . 
Requieni (Requien’s). fl. pale purple, in loose, few-flowered 
whorls. Summer. 1. petiobie eae stalked, orbicular. Stems — 
spreading at the base, much branched ; branches filiform, ascend- 
ing. Corsica, 1829. A pretty and minute herb. 
M. rotundifolia (round-leaved . whitish, in dense, 
cylindrical spikes. Autumn. ee le, ovate-roundish, paresis § 
wrinkled, pubescen beneath. Stem erect, 
ed by a few . À. lft. to d. Europe 
(oa ain), orth and West Asia, North Africa. (Sy. En. 
(variegated). This variety is far more useful 
type. tte leaves are wrinkled 
neath, and elegantly variegated 
k hich ultimately becomes darker. 
viridis (green). Common Green Mint or S. int. fl. pur- 
plish ; spikes cylindrical, loose; whorls 3 or the 
er ones or all distant. nearly se: h. Alt. 
ceolate, serrated 
Europe (Britalay (B. M. Pl. 202.) 
