203 



MOMORDICA. 



though M. sensitiva is also very gene- 

 rally cultivated ; the former, however, 

 is a shrub, and the latter an annual 

 or a biennial. Both may be raised 

 on a hotbed in spring, "with the 

 tender annuals, and either kept in 

 pots throughout the summer, or 

 turned out into the open border about 

 the end of jNIay. IMany species' 

 formerly included under the genus 

 Mimosa are now removed to Acacia ; 

 the principal distinction between 

 the genera being that j\Iimosa has a 

 jointed seed-pod, which Acacia has 

 not. Several other genera have also 

 been formed out of Mimosa. Some 

 of the kinds are stove-plants ; others 

 thrive in a greenhouse ; and 3f. 

 marginata Dec, (the M. 'p'^'ostrata 

 of the nurseries, ) is sufficiently hardy 

 to stand ordinary winters against a 

 conservative wall. They should be 

 all grown in a mixture of loam and 

 peat ; and they are projDagated by 

 seeds or cuttings. See Sensitive 

 Plant. 



Mi'mulus. — ScrophuldrincB. — 

 The Monkey-flower. — The first Mi- 

 mulus introduced into Britain was 

 M. ringens, in the time of Miller, 

 and 31. glutinosus, a shrubby spe- 

 cies, with orange flowers, was the 

 second. Since then numerous spe- 

 cies have been introduced from 

 North and South America, prin- 

 cipally annuals and perennials. All 

 the herbaceous kinds of Mimulus 

 cross freely with each other, and 

 thus a great number of showy 

 plants have been raised, particularly 

 by Mr. James J.PNab, of the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh. They 

 should all be grown in a compost of 

 peat and loam, and supplied abun- 

 dantly with water ; indeed, when 

 grown in pots they should be kept 

 constantly standing in saucers full 

 of water. They are all very nearly 

 hardy ; and M. rdseus, M. cardi- 

 nalis, and M. moschatus will grow 



in the open air, for several years 

 without any protection, dying down 

 to the ground in winter, and spring- 

 ing up and flowering abundantly, 

 every spring. The shrubby kinds 

 are now separated from the others, 

 and formed into a new genus, 

 under the name of Diplacus. (See 

 Di'pLACus.) The name of Monkey- 

 plant alludes to the seeds, which 

 are marked so as to bear some re- 

 semblance to the face of a monkey. 



Mira'bilis. — Nyctagmece. — The 

 jMarvel of Peru. — These plants, 

 though generally treated as annuals, 

 have fusiform tuberous roots, which 

 may be taken up eveiy year and re- 

 planted, like those of the Dahlia. 

 They requii-e a rich soil. 



Mirbe'lia. — Leguminbsce. — An 

 Australian shrub, with pretty pea- 

 flowers ; which is generally kept in 

 a greenhouse in British gardens. — 

 See Australian Shrubs. 



Mistletoe. — See Vi'scum. 



Molucce'lla. — Lahiatce. — Mol- 

 davian Balm. — A hardy annual, 

 which only requires sowing in March 

 or April in the open border, in any 

 common garden soil. — See Annuals. 



Mo^LT. — A kind of garlic, with 

 very pretty yellow flowers. — See 

 A'llium. 



Momo'rdica. — Cucurhitacece. — 

 The squirting Cucumber. — An an- 

 nual gourd-Uke plant, with woolly 

 leaves and yellow flowers, the fruit 

 of which resembles a small Cucum- 

 ber ; and which, when ripe, bursts 

 the moment it is touched, scattering 

 its seeds and the half-liquid pulpy 

 I matter in which they are contained 

 to a considerable distance. This 

 quality made it a favourite in gar- 

 dens a century ago, when ' some j 

 people were yet in a state of 

 sufficient barbarism to find amuse- 

 ment in the annoyance of others ; 

 but it has now deservedly fallen 

 into disrepute, and is seldom grown. 



