THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 
MYRSINEZX. An order of trees, shrubs, or sub- 
shrubs, of variable habit, principally inhabiting the tropical 
parts of Asia and America; they are rare beyond the 
tropics, at the Cape of Good Hope, in Australia, New 
Zealand, Japan, and the Canaries. Flowers white or 
pink, rarely yellow, purplish, or golden, usually small ; 
inflorescence cymose, umbellate, fasciculate, racemose, or 
paniculate. Leaves alternate or scattered, very rarely 
opposite, sometimes sub-verticillate, entire, dentate or 
rarely serrate, and, for the most part, gland-dotted. 
The order contains about twenty-three genera and 500 
species. Illustrative genera are: Ægiceras, Jacquinea, 
Myrsine, and Theophrasta. ! 
UM (from Myrsine, Myrtle, and 
phyllon, a leaf; leaves aromatic). ORD. Liliaceœ. A 
small genus of greenhouse, deciduous twiners, natives of 
the Cape of Good Hope, now included, by Bentham and 
Hooker, under Asparagus. Flowers greenish, on nodding 
pedicels, two or three together at the base of the leaves, 
from the axils of small white scales; perianth persistent, 
bell-shaped. Leaves ovate-lanceolate or lanceolate, 
obliquely cordate at the base. The species most gene- 
rally grown is M. asparagoides, which thrives best if 
planted in a warm part of the greenhouse, and in a 
Fic. 627. MYRSIPHYLLUM ASPARAGOIDES, (1) Portion of 
Flowering Stem, &e., reduced; (2) ditto, natural size; and 
(6) ed Flower. 
prepared bed of loam and leaf soil, where the slender 
growths can be trained up a pillar or rafter. Plenty 
of water should be given when the plants are growing. 
Propagation may be easily effected by seeds, by cuttings, 
or by divisions of the root. 
3 (Asparagus. like)“ f. greenish or white. June. 
3 3 t glossy green. Braneniets ts very pretty, spray-like ; 
— Figg loyed in the composition of wreaths, 
1 YN. Medeola asparagoides. See Fig. 627. 
MYRTACEZ. A large order of trees, shrubs, or 
very rarely sub-shrubs, scarcely ever sub-scandent, in- 
. habiting, for the most part, the tropical regions of the 
globe. Inflorescence axillary, simple, racemose or race- 
mose-paniculate, rarely cymose. Leaves simple, entire, 
or rarely obscurely crenate-serrate, opposite or alternate, 
dotted from pellucid glands sunk into the paren- 
a, narrowed into a petiole at the base (or sessile); 
es usually none, or rarely geminate at the base of 
les, minute, caducous. The order comprises 
* genera and 1800 species. IIlustrative 
are: Darwinia, ymma, Leptospermum, 
ra, and Myrtus. 
MYRTLE. See Myrtus communis. 
MYRTUS (from Myrtos, the old Greek name). Myrtle. 2 
Including Luma and Ugni. ORD. Myrtacew. An exten- 
sive genus (upwards of 100 species have been enumerated, 
but the number may probably be reduced) of stove, green- 
house, or nearly hardy, glabrous, tomentose, or pubescent, 
shrubs, rarely trees; they are mostly dispersed through 
tropical, extra-tropical, and Western South, America ; eight 
are found in Australia, six in New Caledonia, four in 
New Zealand, and one frequently occurs in Europe and 
Western Asia. Calyx-tube turbinate; lobes and petals 
four or five, the latter spreading; peduncles axillary, 
often slender, one to many-flowered ; central fiowers short, 
lateral ones on long pedicels. Berry adnate to, or in- 
cluded in, the calyx-tube. Leaves opposite, penniveined. 
The common species (M. communis) and its varieties 
are popular and well wn plants, with flowers and 
foliage rather strongly scented. When grown in pots, 
they are equally well adapted for greenhouse, room, or : 
window decoration. The small branches, especially of 
the narrow-leaved form, are very useful for intermix- 
ing with cut flowers. This species may also be grown 
against a wall, outside, in many parts, if a slight pro- 
tection is afforded in winter. M. Ugni succeeds well, 
either planted out, or grown in large pots, in 
a greenhouse. The fruits, when ripe, are highly 
flavoured, and emit an agreeable perfume, 1 
which pervades the whole house. All Myrtles : 
are of easy culture, in a compost of sandy 
loam and leaf soil. They are readily propa- 
gated by cuttings of firm or partially-ripened 
shoots, inserted under a glass, or in a close 
frame, those of the stove species requiring, of 
course, a warmer temperature than the green- 
house or half-hardy ones. The common species 
may be trained as tall standards, or in almost 
any shape desired. An abundance of water, 
and frequent syringings, are requisite for all 
Myrtles throughout the summer. The roots 
should not be allowed to get quite dry at any 
time. 
M. bullata (blistered). Tp potai <9 ink, orbicular 
peduncles one-flowere urceolate. l 
shortly petioled, lin. to 2in. e Bong broadly elliptic- 
ovate or orbicular-ovate, obtuse, acute, or apiculate. 
k. 10ft. to 15ft. New "Zealand, 1855. Greenhouse 
shrub. (B. M. 4809.) 
M. Cheken (Cheken). fl. white, numerous, axilla 
Chili, 1847, . ren ey heat oblong-ovate, ekg oe * 6ft. 
i much-branc - 
pe k. M. 564d. an Pe leafy, half 
FIG. 628. FLOWERING BRANCHLET OF MYRTUS COMMUNIS. 
common).* Common Myrtle, white ; 
2 one owered, about the length of i leaves, oor, 
1 under the flowers. July. l ovate or 
h. 3ft. to 10ft. South Europe, 1597. 
