248 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



MEL 



Mela'stoma. From melos, black, and stoma, a 

 mouth; the black berries of certain species 

 when eaten stain the mouth. Nat. Ord. Me- 

 lastomacecB. 



This genus contains a considerable number 

 of species, distributed over tropical Asia and 

 the islands of the Indian and Pacific oceans, 

 extending as far south as Moreton Bay. The 

 plants are small shrubs, covered with close- 

 pressed hairs, and have large violet-purple, 

 pale rose, or white flowers, mostly in fascicles 

 at the summit of the branches. Propagated 

 in spring by cuttings. 



Melastoma'ceee. A natural order of trees, 

 herbs, or shrubs, with opposite, ribbed leaves 

 and showy flowers. They are found chiefly 

 in warm climates, though some are natives of 

 more temperate regions. There are no un- 

 wholesome plants in the order, and the suc- 

 culent fruit of several is edible. There are 

 over one hundred genera, and nearly two 

 thousand species. Illustrative genera are 

 Pleroma, Rhexia, Miconia, and Bertolonia. 



Melha'nia. From Mount Melhan, in Arabia 

 Felix, where the original species was first 

 found. Nat. Ord. SterculiacecB. 



A genus of about sixteen species of orna- 

 mental trees or shrubs, natives of Africa, the 

 warmer parts of Asia, and tropical Australia. 

 M. erythroxylon is a handsome green-house 

 plant, with white flowers changing to pink, and 

 ovate, cordate leaves, tomentose beneath. It 

 is a native of St. Helena, and only a very few 

 individuals now exist in its native habitat. M. 

 melanoxylon, also from St. Helena, has, within 

 comparatively recent years, become quite 

 extinct in a wild state, and jjrobably no longer 

 exists in cultivation. 



Me'lia. Bead Tree. From Melia, the Greek 

 name for the Ash ; in allusion to the resem- 

 blance in the leaves. Nat. Ord. Meliaceat,. 



A small genus of tropical trees and shrubs, 

 with alternate pinnate or bipinnate leaves, and 

 flowers borne in panicles. M. Azedarach, com- 

 monly known as the Pride of India, False 

 Sycamore, Holy Tree, Arbre a Chapelet, Bead 

 Tree, Hill Margosa, and in our Southern States 

 also as Umbrella China Tree and China Berry, 

 is, says Dr. Masters," widely diffused over the 

 globe, having been carried to America, Africa, 

 and different parts of southern Europe. It is 

 from thirty to fifty feet high, with bi-pinnate 

 leaves, and large bunches of fragrant, lilac- 

 colored flowers, which are succeeded by a 

 fruit about the size of a Cherry, with an ex- 

 ternal pulp and a hard nut within. In south- 

 ern France and Spain the tree thrives well in 

 the open air, as it does in our Southern States. 

 The Arabic name, Azedarach, implies a 

 poisonous plant, and the fruit is generally 

 considered so. The root is bitter and nau- 

 seous, and is used as an anthelmintic. The tree 

 is supposed to possess febrifugal properties, 

 and a decoction of the leaves is used as a 

 remedy for hysterics. It derives the name 

 Bead Tree on account of the use made of the 

 seeds in Catholic countries where the nuts 

 are threaded for beads, for which purpose they 

 are peculiarly suited, having a natural perfora- 

 tion through the centre ; hence the ti-ee has been 

 called Arbor Sancta." We make the following 

 extract from the American Agriculturist : "The 

 tree is not hardy north of Virginia, but south- 

 ward it is a common street tree, and frequent 



MEL 



around country places. The ease with which 

 it may be transplanted and its rapid growth 

 are somewhat offset by the readiness with 

 which its branches are broken by high winds. 

 Its wood makes excellent fuel, is durable, 

 and is used for furniture. There has been in- 

 troduced from Texas, within a few years, a 

 marked variety,calledtheUmbrella China Tree. 

 Several years ago we saw a small specimen of 

 this in the extensive collection of P. J. Berck- 

 mans, near Augusta, Ga., which promised to 

 be valuable, and now we have a photograph 

 of a tree in Abbeville, Ala., taken by J. C. 

 Mangold, to show the remarkably compact 

 habit and umbrella-like form. Mr. J. A. Clen- 

 dinen sends an account of the tree, from which 

 we learn that the foliage is so dense that it 

 will turn almost any rainfall. It does not 

 fruit so abundantly as the ordinary form of 

 the tree, but, what is quite remarkable, the 

 variety is reproduced from the seed. This 

 variety of the favorite China Tree will com- 

 mend itself to our readers in the Southern 

 States, as it has naturally the compact habit 

 that is somewhat imperfectly produced in the 

 ordinary form of the tree by severe cutting. 

 China Berries, as the fruit of the tree is usu- 

 ally called, are eaten by sheep and goats, 

 which in winter require but little other food ; 

 cows are fond of them, but they impart an un- 

 pleasant taste to the milk. The hard stone is 

 sometimes bored and strung to make rosa- 

 ries ' and necklaces, hence the tree is known 

 in some countries as the Bead Tree. " 



Melia'ceae. A natural order of trees and shruljs 

 with alternate, pinnate leaves, without 

 stipules, flowering in panicles. They are 

 natives of the tropics of America and India, 

 and very rare in Africa. The flowers of this 

 order are generally fragrant, aromatic, and 

 tonic. Many supply compact beautifully- 

 veined timber, such as the well-known Ma- 

 hogany of tropical America {Swietenia Mahog- 

 oni), the Satin-wood of India (Chloroxylon 

 Swietenia), the Yellow-wood of New South 

 Wales (Oxleya xanthoxyla), the Red-wood of 

 Coromandel {Soymida febrifuga), and the Toon 

 of India, or Simal-Kun of the Lepchas {Ced- 

 rela Toona). A kind of oil is procured from 

 Satin-wood, and the barks of Cedrela febrifuga, 

 as well as the Mahogany Tree, and others, are 

 used medicinally in intermittent fevers, etc. 

 There are nine known genera and twenty-five 

 species. Swietenia, Cedrela, Flindersia, and 

 Soymida are examples of the order. 



Melia'ntheae. A tribe of Sapindacece. 



Melia'nthus. Honey Flower. From melt, 

 honey, and anthos, a flower ; the tubes contain 

 a copious supply of honey-like juice. Nat. 

 Ord. Sapindace/JB. 



A small genus of ornamental shrubs or 

 small trees from the Cape of Good Hope, pro- 

 ducing axillary or terminal clusters of purple 

 flowers, from which the natives obtain honey 

 for food by shaking the branches. They are 

 rarely, if ever, introduced into the green- 

 house, and it is difficult to make them flower. 

 M. major is an old green-house plant, the 

 leaves of which have a peculiar odor, which 

 has given it the name of "Pease Meal 

 Plant." It is easily raised from seed and 

 forms a very ornamental plant with smooth, 

 glaucous, deeply-cut leaves; largely em- 

 ployed in sub-tropical gardening. 



