AN ENCYCLOPADIA OF HORTICULTURE. 355 
Mertensia—continued. Mesembryanthemum—continuned. 
acute. Stems 3 ane h. in to 18in. East Asia ores species) of greenhouse, or rarely hardy, erect or pros- 
i y S, V 2 
colour or ita fowers, Syn: e, N nioa, die ies | trate, fleshy, leafy herbs or sub-shrubs,’ mostly natives 
white-flowered form in cultivation. of South Africa, a few being found in other parts of 
Africa, and in Australia, New Zealand, the Canary 
Islands, the Mediterranean region, and Arabia. Flowers 
white, yellow, or different shades of red, &., conspicuous, 
axillary or terminal, cymose, paniculate, or corymbose ; 
calyx tube adnate with the ovary; lobes five, rarely 
one to eight, unequal, herbaceous or scariose; petals 
many, one to many-seriate, inserted in the calyx tube, 
linear. Capsules tightly closed during dry weather, 
and opening naturally after rain (if placed in water 
until thoroughly soaked, and then removed, an old 
capsule will open out its carpellary valves, radiating 
from the centre, like a star, and will close them again 
when dry; this may be repeated several times without 
destroying its remarkable hygroscopic property). Leaves 
often opposite, thick, fleshy, very variable in shape, entire 
or furnished with spiny rigid hairs on the margins. The 
Fig. 552. INFLORESCENCE AND DETACHED FLOWER OF culture of most species of this genus is very simple, the 
: MERTENSIA VIRGINICA. great secret of success 8 in exposing the plants 
ginica (Virginian).* Virginian Cowslip. fl. purple-blue, | to the full sun at all times, and in not using too rich 
“abut, about din. long, disposed in gracefully doping terminal a soil. A compost of lime eee. yellow — — 
insterg. Spring and summer. . x ' and decayed manure, in equal proportions, suits them 
k h. 1ft. to 2ft. s 5 : 3 
8 1288. Ses Fig. c (B. M. 160 under came of Pulmo- well. Several species constitute very charming plants for 
naria virginica.) window gardening, eh many n o be grn iih 
MERTENSIA f Willdenow). Included under great success in open from May until October: 
Gleichenia. . i Propagation may be easily effected by pieces, pulled or 
3 ont off, and laid in the sun on moist sand, where they 
MERULIUS LACRYMANS. This is often called root freely in a few weeks. Except where otherwise 
the Dry-rot Fungus. It is the most frequent cause, r 
979 “not the only one, of the form of decay in the F e aa 4 pec 
woodwork of houses and of greenhouses commonly known 
as Dry-rot. The wood is traversed in every direction by 
the thread-like cells (mycelium) of the fungus; and the 
tissue is thereby so altered in its nature as to crumble 
readily on pressure. Merulius attracts moisture, and is 
constantly damp. It spreads over large surfaces in dark, 
3 ill-ventilated spaces, when in the spore-producing stage, 
and its surface (hymenium) is then marked with pores, 
or small tubes. A 
Remedies. The remedies employed for the attacks of 
this fungus (which, if unchecked, proves most destruc- 
tive in houses, as it spreads rapidly) are, where possible, 
soaking the woodwork with strong solutions of corrosive 
sublimate, or of copper sulphate. Since well-dried or 
seasoned wood is far less liable to be attacked, such 
wood alone should be used in e eee gene poa 
tilation, to insure the dryness of the w odw 
house, is an essential means for the prevention of Dry-rot. 
MERYTA (said to be derived from meryo, to roll 
ae up; in reference to the male flowers forming something 
5 like a rolled-up ball). SYN. Botryodendron. ORD. 
4 Araliacee. A genus comprising six species of stove or 
D DETACHED LEAF OF MESEMBRYANTHEMUM 
Fig. 553. BRANCH AN ge sl 
. greenhouse, glabrous trees, natives of Norfolk Island, 
i New Zealand, and the South Pacific Islands. Flowers | w acinaciforme (scimitar-formed). A. reddish, large, solitary, 
diœcious, in panicled heads, at the sides 2 ae branches, terminal. Augot i apposite, coy mr eae juetrous, aoe 
or in sessile fascicles; males small; females large. een, a . SYN. M. rubro- 
Leaves simple, large, entire or sinuated. For culture, cingtum: Seo 553. (A. B. R. 508; B. M. 5539; M. A. S. 
see Aralia. — : § 19, Fig. 6. 8 
latifolia (broad greenish-yellow, male, female, | M. adscendens (ascending). f. yellow, peduncu . 
"a h fi gue er ee into oblong compound l. broadly tongue-shaped, AS iene S green. 1805. 
which are 2in. to 3in. long, formed of innumerable clusters Plant stemless, herbaceous. . 8. § 8, . i 
Uae ts Se a Hower, on, & yohorate or fadieshaped; | M- agminum Gamb-chop). A yellow, seati, solitary, central, 
.... TTT. 
dee ee „ 40k dots, herbaceous. (M. A-B 
M. sonchifolia (Sonchus-leaved). l. lyrate-pinnatisect ; terminal ess, canescent, wrink 
i : bes rhomboid-ovate, „Fig. 8. 
lobe deltoid or somewhat acuminate ; pario s pe — 85 mi ) (whiteleaved). fl. golden-yellow, large, 
agreeably 
acute ; i i 2 i. greenish-white, subulate, trique- 
numerous whitish (and — olive-green. New scented. June to August. ; , : 
Caledonia, 1879. a L H. 1879, ) trous ; apex obtuse, mucronate. h. 6in. 1714. Evergreen shrub. 
s 824.) 4 
(from mesembria, oe tum (white-marked). ft. yellow, central, solitary, 
midday, and anthemon, a flower; in reference to the | W L acinaciformly triquetrous eet ger E= e 
flowers opening better on sunny days). Fig Marigold. a recurved mucrone, full of scattered, rather elevated, 5 tish 
Orv. Picoidec. A very extensive genus (about 300 | dots. k. Zn. 1823. Herbaceous. 
