AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



237 



LYT 



Ly'thrum, L(X)sestrife. From lytkron, black 

 blood ; the prevailing purple color of the flow- 

 ers. Nat. Ord. Lythracem. 



A genus of hardy annuals and herbaceous 

 perennials. Several species of the latter are 

 common in marshes and wet places through- 

 out the Middle and Western States. The flow- 



MAC 



ers produced in the gardens are finer than 

 those growing wild. They flower freely in the 

 autumn months and are propagated by divis- 

 ion. L. Grmfferi is a very ornamental trailing 

 plant, well adapted for cultivating in hanging 

 pans or baskets for summer decoration. It is 

 readily increased by cuttings. 



M. 



M 



aa'ckia Amurensis. A synonym of Clad- 

 rastis Amurensis. 



Ma'ba. Its native name in the Tonga Islands. 

 Nat. Ord. Ebenacece. 



A genus of nearly twenty species, dispersed 

 over tropical Africa and Asia, the Pacific 

 Islands, and Australia. The Ebony "Wood of 

 Cochin China is believed to be the produce of 

 a tree of this genus. Only one or two species 

 are in cultivation. 



Macada'mia. Named atter John 3fcAdam,, M.D., 

 of Victoria. Nat. Ord. Proteacm. 



M. ternifolia is remarkable for its fruit, 

 which contains a kernel of a remarkably rich 

 and agreeable flavor, resembling, but much 

 superior to, the Filbert. It is the only species 

 yet in cultivation, and was introduced in 1869. 



Mace. The envelope which surrounds Nutmegs. 

 See Myristica. 



Machaeranthe'ra. From machairos, a sickle, 

 and anthera, an anther; alluding to their 

 peculiar form. Nat. Ord. Composite^. 



A genus of biennial and annual plants, 

 natives of North America, now classed with 

 Aster. M. canescens, and M. tanacetifolia are in 

 cultivation but ai-e scarcely worth growing. 



Macka'ya. Named after Dr. J. F. Mackay, 

 author of the "Flora Hibernica." Nat. Ord. 

 AcanthacecB. 



M. bella, the only species, is a lovely shrubby 

 green-house plant, a native of the rocky bed 

 of the Tongat river. Natal, and is described 

 by its discoverer, Mr. J. Sanderson, as form- 

 ing a beautiful object, being one mass of most 

 delicate, pendant, pale lilac, campanulate 

 flowers, which grow in racemes four to six 

 inches long. It grows very freelj'', but re- 

 quires special treatment to induce it to flo"wer 

 profusely. The essential points are the 

 encouragement of a free growth during sum- 

 mer and the allowance of a season of rest in 

 winter, during which time no water should be 

 applied to the roots or overhead. The plant 

 is nearly or quite deciduous, and the racemes 

 are produced from the points of nearly all 

 well ripened shoots. It was introduced in 

 1869, and is propagated by cuttings in sum- 

 mer. This genus is included by Benthamand 

 Hooker under A,systasia. 



Maclea'nia. Named after John Maclean, of 

 Lima, a British merchant, and a distinguished 



patron of botany. A genus of Peruvian shrubs 

 of the Nat. Ord. Vacciniacem, comprising about 

 a dozen species of ornamental green-house 

 shrubs, with alternate leaves and axillary 

 flower stalks, terminated by a single reddish 

 or yellow flower of great beauty. Cuttings 

 will readily root in sand or soil. First intro- 

 duced in 1842. 



Macleay'a. 



see. 



A synonym for Bocconia, which 



Maclu'ra. Osage Orange. Named after Wil- 

 liam Maclure, a North American geologist. 

 Nat. Ord. Urticacem. 



A genus of handsome, low-growing trees, 

 generally attaining the height of thirty feet. 

 There are but three species included in the 

 genus, two of which are common in the West 

 Indies, and not hardy here, excepting in the 

 extreme Southern States. 3f. aurantiaca, the 

 Osage Orange, is a native of the south-western 

 States, and foi-ms a spreading tree from thirty 

 to sixty feet high, but is easily kept dwarf by 

 cutting back, and is extensively used as a 

 hedge plant in the Western States, for which 

 purpose its rapid growth, together with its 

 strong spines, renders it suitable. The wood 

 is bright yellow and very elastic. It is called 

 Bow-wood, from its being used by the Indians 

 for making bows. Young plants are grown 

 from seed, which, if sown in good soil, will 

 make very strong plants for the hedge-rows in 

 two years. Many prefer setting them one 

 year from seed. This species is hardy in the 

 vicinity of New York, and is used for hedges 

 and on the lawn. M. tricuspidata (Syn. Ciid- 

 rania triloba) is an ornamental deciduous tree, 

 remarkable for the difference of the appear- 

 ance and shape of its leaves in its young and 

 adult state. It forms a good hedge plant, 

 and in Cliina, whence it was introduced in 

 1872, the leaves are used for feeding silk- 

 worms, and the wood yields a yellow dye. M. 

 iindoria is a synonym for Chlorophoratinctoria, 

 which see. 



Maco'des. From makos, length ; in reference 

 to the shape of the labellum. A very beauti- 

 ful Orchid from Java, its leaves beautifully 

 marked with netted golden veins, closely allied 

 to AncBCtochiluH. 



Macrade'nia lutescens, is a little Trinidad 

 Orchid forming a genus allied to Onddium. 



