AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



247 



MED 



M. Virginica, the only species, is a hardy 

 herbaceous perennial, common from Virginia 

 southward. It has a creeping, tuberous root, 

 tasting like a cucumber, from which the plant 

 derives its local name, Indian Cucumber. It 

 has an erect, simple stem, with sessile leaves 

 produced in whorls, with a terminal umbel of 

 small, greenish-yellow flowers. 

 Medica'go. Medick. From mediko, a name 

 given by Dioscorides to a Median Grass. 

 Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



A genus of weedj'-looking plants, with yel- 

 low pea-flowers which are generally single or 

 in small clusters. The seed pods in many of 

 the species, are very curious, some resem- 

 bling snails, others hedgehogs, and othei's bee- 

 hives. They were formerly • found in seed- 

 men's catalogues under these various names, 

 and recommended to garnish dishes of meat, 

 etc. They are now seldom met, as the plants 

 to which they belong are found not worth 

 growing. M. lupuUna, the yellow Trefoil, is 

 an excellent fodder plant, either alone or when 

 mixed with grasses. It starts very early in the 

 spring, is A'ery productive, and grows rapidlj-. 

 M. aativa is the well-known Alfalfa, or Lucerne, 

 now extensively used in California and many 

 other parts of the world as a forage crop. It 

 is particularly fitted from its deep-rooting 

 properties, for drj^ barren soils. In some 

 sections of California five ei"ops are cut 

 annually, and at this writing it is considered 

 the most valuable forage crop of the State. See 

 Alfalfa. 



Medick. See Medicago. 



Medini'lla. Named after J. de Medinilla y Pin- 

 eda, Governor of the Marianne Islands. Nat. 

 Ord. Melastomacece. 



A small genus of East Indian evergreen 

 shrubby plants, with large fleshy leaves, and 

 large pendulous racemes of white or rose- 

 colored flowers. The species generally met 

 in our green-house is 31. magnijica, a plant 

 that truly deserves the name. Its enemy in 

 the green-house is the mealy bug, which is 

 very sure to find it. It is propagated by cut- 

 tings, and requires considerable heat to grow 

 it in perfection. Introduced in 1884. 



Medlar. See Mespilus. 



Medlar. Japanese. See Photinia Japonica. 



Medulla, Medullary. The pith of a plant; 

 that central column of cellular matter over 

 Avhich the wood is formed in Exogens. 



Medusa's Head. Euphorbia Caput- MeduscB. 



Megacli'nium. From megas, large and Mine, a 

 bed ; referi-ing to the axis or rachis on which 

 the flowers are borne. Nat. Ord. Orchidacece. 

 A small genus of epiphytal Orchids of tropical 

 western Africa, closely allied to Bulbophyllum, 

 remarkable for the curious flattened, sword- 

 shaped flower stalks, upon which the curious 

 little flowers are seated in a straight row 

 along the middle on both sides. The flowers 

 are of a greenish or yellowish brown, spotted 

 more or less with purple. Some of them 

 have a fancied resemblance to little frogs or 

 toads, whence one species has been named 

 M. bufo. They are seldom met except in 

 large collections. 



Megarrhi'za. Big-Root. From megas, large, 

 and rhiza, root ; alluding to the large tuberous 

 root stocks. Nat. Ord. CucurbitacecB. 



MEL 



A genus of tuberous rooted, climbing plants 

 with small white flowers which are produced 

 in early spring, the leaves are cordate, pal- 

 mately lobed or angled. ' ' A genus confined to 

 the Pacific coast, the species not all known, 

 nearly allied to the Echinocystus oi the Atlantic 

 States, to which it has been referred, but from 

 which it is separated by its thick perennial 

 roots, its large turgid emarginate seeds, and 

 its thick fleshy cotyledons, which remain 

 under ground in germination. The fruit in 

 some species appears to be wholly indehis- 

 cent." Cal. Bot. 



Mega'sea. A genus now included under Scuri- 

 fraga. 



Melale'uca. From melas, black, and leukos, 

 white ; referring to the color of the old and 

 young bark. Nat. Ord. Myrtacece. 



This genus consists of evergreen trees and 

 shrubs, natives of Australia and the islands in 

 the Indian Ocean. They have alternate flat or 

 cj-lindrical leaves, and yellowish, purple, or 

 crimson flowers produced in axillary clusters. 

 31. leucadendron minor is one of the more im- 

 portant species the leaves of which after fer- 

 mentation are distilled for the purpose of 

 yielding the well-known Cajeput Oil, a limpid, 

 very volatile, powerfully aromatic oil, of a 

 bluish-green color, highly valued as a pre- 

 servative of all preparations of natural his- 

 toiy. The leaves of this species are used as 

 a tonic, and the bark is used as oakum and for 

 thatching houses. Numerous species are 

 grown as green-house plants, on account of 

 the simplicity of their foliage and the beauty 

 of their clustered flowers. 



Melanipy'rum. Cow-wheat. A genus of 

 Scrophulariacem, natives of Europe and west- 

 ern Asia, one being very broadly dispersed 

 over Asia and North America. M. arvense 

 has large oblong spikes of flowers, variegated 

 with yellow, green, and crimson, and forms 

 quite a conspicuous object in the corn fields in 

 the Isle of Wight, England. Our native 

 species M. Americanum is common in open 

 woods and is inconspicuous. 



Melana'nthon. Dark-flowered. 



Melanoca'ulon. Black-stemmed. 



Melantha'ceae. A natural order included by 

 Bentham and Hooker under Liliacece. 



Mela'nthium. From melos, black, and anthoa, 

 a flower ; referring to the dusky flowers. Nat. 

 Ord. Melanthacem. 



A small genus of half-hardy bulbs, requiring 

 the protection of the green-house or pit dur- 

 ing winter. The flowers are white, yellow or 

 pink, and some with nearly black flowers. All 

 have very much the appearance of small Ixias. 

 They grow in a light soil, flower in early 

 summer, and are increased by offsets ; intro- 

 duced in 1797. 



Melasphae'rula. From melas, black, and sphoB- 

 rula, a ball ; referiing to the blackish bulbs. 

 Nat. Ord. Iridacew. 



A small genus of very pretty green-house 

 plants of graceful habit, producing a pro- 

 fusion of yellow or yellowish-green flowers 

 which remain in perfection for a considerable 

 time. They are natives of the Cape of Good 

 Hope, and require to be treated similarly to 

 the Ixias. Syn. Aghea and Diasia. 



