362 
THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
Metternichia—continued. 
M. Principis (Prince Metternich - Winneburg’s). fl. white, in 
terminal racemes; corolla funnel-shaped, with a limb of five 
equal segments. August. Z. deep green. A. 3ft. Brazil, 1854. 
A neat and hand t-growing plant. (B. M. 4747.) 
MEUM (from Meon, the old Greek name used by 
Dioscorides). Bawd-money. ORD. Umbellifere. A mono- 
typic genus, the species being an elegant, hardy, aro- 
matic, tufted, glabrous, perennial. It thrives in borders, 
on banks, and in the rock garden, in almost any ordinary 
soil. Propagated by divisions. 
M. athamanticum (Athamanta-like).* Spignel. f. white, in 
rather large, compound, terminal umbels; involucre, when pre- 
sent, of a few linear leaves, often altogether wanting. May. 
Jr. narrow, but not beaked, with the primary ridges winged. 
. much divided into numerous thread-like segments. Stems 
5 e san ene . h. 1 ft. . 
0 estern Europe tain Fig. 567 e . 
En. B. 606.) : E 
MEXICAN TEA. See Chenopodium ambrosi- 
oides. 
MEXICAN THISTLE. A common name of Cnicus 
conspicuus, 
MEXICAN TIGER FLOWER. See Tigridia. 
MEYENIA (of Nees). Included under Thun- 
bergia (which see). 
MEYENIA (of Schlechtendal). 
trum. ‘ 
MEZEREON. See Daphne Mezereum. 
MICE. These animals are at times very trouble- 
some in gardens, eating bulbs, roots, seeds, and the bark 
of trees; and occasionally they destroy numbers of trees 
by eating through or round the trunks, just below the 
surface of the ground. There are two kinds especially 
hurtful in gardens, viz., the Short-tailed Field Mouse, or 
Vole (Arvicola arvalis), and the Long-tailed Field Mouse 
(Mus sylvaticus). Both are very common, but the former 
prefers the drier, the latter the damper, places. They 
are readily distinguished by the tail, which, in the Vole, 
searcely reaches one-fourth the length of the body, and 
is blunt at the tip; while the tail of the other is long, 
and tapers to the tip. The Vole has also a rounder head, 
with shorter ears, and its fur has a redder tinge than 
that of the Long-tailed Mouse. The Voles make runs 
among the grass of Lawns, Ko., but they are not very 
easily caught. The most effective method of lessening 
their numbers has been found to be making pitfalls, 
lft. at least in depth, Ain. to 6in. wide at the mouth, 
and considerably wider at the bottom. Into these 
the Mice fall, and from them they cannot climb out. 
An inverted flower-pot sunk in the ground is some- 
times used instead of the pit. Traps of various kinds 
may also be used, such as the Figure of 4 trap, or 
wire traps. The same means may be used to capture 
the other species, and poison may be employed with 
success where its use would not be dangerous to children 
or to domestic animals. One of the best poisons for 
Mice is phosphorus, made up with lard and flour. This 
may be scattered on the seed beds, or beside bulbs or 
bother things that are endangered by the Mice. Other 
_. poisons employed for killing Mice are nux vomica or 
_ strychnine, arsenic, and white hellebore; but these are 
all dangerous to use for this purpose. Among natural 
enemies to Mice out of doors, owls, hawks, weasels, 
T o aara are very helpful to gardeners, and 
Included under Oes- 
protected by them whenever possible, what- 
ers’ views may be in regard to damage 
ng game. It is said that Mice may 
proving injurious in seed beds by 
ings, and plants, with an inch of 
it is supposed, will not dig 
which, at the same time, 
MICHAUXIA (named after André Michaux, 1746- 
1802, a French botanist). ORD. Campanulacee. A small 
genus (four species have been described) of handsome 
hardy biennial plants, allied to Campanula, but having 
the recesses or sinuses of the calyx covered, and the 
leaves lyrate. Corolla rotate, with eight reflexed divi- 
sions. Leaves irregularly toothed or lobed, cauline few. 
Michauxias are very effective plants for borders, and 
thrive in warm, sheltered spots. Increased by sowing 
seeds, in April, on a warm, sunny border. 
M. campanuloides (Campanula-like). A. white, tinged with 
purple on the outside, drooping, scattered along the branches and 
stem, from the axils of the bracts. Summer. J. strigose, radical 
ones lanceolate, irregularly lobed ; petioles margined and lobed. 
Stem branched at top. h. 3ft. to 8ft. Levant, 1787. (B. M. 219.) 
M. leevigata(smooth).* f. scattered along nearly the whole length 
of the stem, on short peduncles; calyx segments acute, at first 
erect, afterwards spreading at right angles; corolla white, much 
longer than the calyx, ten-parted ; anthers yellow; pollen yellow. 
August. Jl. sprinkled on both sides with harsh, erect hairs, 
duplicate-dentate, coarsely-veined and reticulate; root leaves 
ovate; stem ones sessile. Stem 11ft. high, herbaceous, smooth, 
shining, upright, straight. North Persia, 1829, The whole pani 
2120) on the slightest injury, a quantity of milky juice. (B. M. 
MICHELIA (named after Pietro Antonio Michele, 
1679-1737, a celebrated Florentine botanist). ORD. Magno- 
liacew. A genus comprising twelve species of stove 
evergreen trees, closely allied to Magnolia, natives of 
India and the islands of the Eastern Archipelago. 
Flowers axillary, solitary, or in one species terminal, 
usually smaller than in Magnolia. Michelias thrive in 
a compost of sandy loam and leaf mould. Propagated, 
in summer, by cuttings of half-ripened shoots, placed in 
sand, under a glass, in heat. 
M. Champaca (Champaca). fl. yellow, large, not unlike a double 
Narcissus, sweet-scented throughout the day, but becoming 
rather fœtid at night; peduncles short, axillary, one-flowered ; 
produced throughout the year. J. ovate-oblong, acuminated, 
acute at the base, with the ribs beneath, as well as the peduncles 
Phe spathes, silky. „. 30ft. to 40ft. India and Java, 1779. 
(woolly). 1 Spring. ł drooping, 
elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, bright 5 beneath, 
T7777 ĩ ͤ ene 
MICONTIA (named after D. Micon, a Spanish botanist). 
Including Chitonia (of Don), Diplochita, and Tamonea. 
Orv. Melastomacee. A vast genus (about 300 species) of 
stove polymorphous shrubs and trees, natives of tropical 
America and Asia. Flowers white, pink, red, purple, or 
yellow, in terminal, or rarely lateral, corymbose panicles, 
pedicellate or sessile; calyx glabrous, furfuraceous, to- 
mentose, or rarely setose; tube often adherent with the 
ovary ; petals four to eight, obovate or oblong, spreading 
or reflexed. Berry two or many-seeded. Leaves fre- 
quently petiolate, entire, denticulate or serrulate. A few 
the species are cultivated for the sake of their foliage, 
those described below being the best known. For cul- 
ture, see Melastoma, 
M. flammea (flame-coloured).* J. very large, glossy, but rugose 
from the sunken veins, thin-ribbed, elliptic. peat hy with the 
blade decurrent on the petioles Stem erect, clothed 
with close rusty hairs, A handsome foliage plant. 
. Hookeriana (Hooker’s).* J. deep oli with broad 
silvery midrib, elliptic, mobe A N n shrub. 
Peru. (B. M. 5411, under name of M. pul ) 
M. H. trifasciata (three-banded). . white, small, in terminal 
. elliptic, acute, with the three ribs silvery. Branches, 
ves, and panicles velvety-tomentose. Eastern Peru. 
M. pulverulenta (powdery). A synonym of M. Hookeriana. 
M. (Teysmann’s). J. elliptic-ovate, five-nerved, 
green. Malayan Archipelago, 1867. (R. G. 537.) 
+ A synonym of Hevea (which see). 
1 Included under Pleroma 
(which see). : 
ICR CHRYS (from mikros, small, and kachrys. 
a cone; referring to the very small cones). Orp. Coni- 
Jere. A monotypic genus. The species is a prostrate, 
bus a anched, greenhouse evergreen shrub, confined to 
mountains of Tasmania. For culture, see Dacry- 
