268 



HENDEKSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS 



MYK 



Pimenta, a tree of the West Indies and Mexico. 

 The flower buds of Caryophyllus aromaticus, 

 constitute the Cloves of commerce. Guavas 

 are the fruits of species of Psidium. Punica 

 Granatum, j'ields the Pomegranate. The 

 species of Eucalyptus, are the gigantic Gum or 

 Fever-trees of Australia. The order is a very 

 extensive one, containing about one hundred 

 genera, and fifteen hundred species. 



Myrtle. See Myrtus. 



Myrtle. Sand. Leophyllum buxifolium. 



Myrtle. Wax or Candleberry. Myricacerifera. 



My'rtus. From myron, signifying perfume. 

 5fat. Ord. Myrtacece. 



A genus of beautiful evergreen shrubs, na- 

 tives of Europe, Asia, South America, and 

 some of them of New Holland. The common 

 Myrtle, M. communm, of which there are eight 

 or ten very distinct varieties, is too well known 

 to require any description. It is not sur- 



NAN 



passed in beauty of foliage by any exotic 

 shrub, and the flowers are of a pure Avhite, 

 and, like the leaves, fragrant. The fragrance 

 arises from an oil which is secreted in little 

 cells, which appear as dots when the leaves 

 are held up to the light. The handsomest 

 vax'ieties of the common Myrtle are the 

 Eoman, or broad-leaved, the broad-leaved 

 Dutch, the narrow-leaved, and the double- 

 flowered. M. Nummularia, a native of the 

 Falkland Islands spreads over the ground 

 like common Thyme. M. Vgni (syn. Eugenia 

 Ugni), introduced from Valdivia in 1845, 

 forms a very pretty, cool green-house plant, 

 with white flowers succeeded by red or black 

 glossy fruits, which, when ripe, are highly 

 flavored and emit an agreeable perfume. It 

 is quite hardy in the Southern States. All 

 the species are readily propagated by cuttings 

 of the partially ripened shoots. 



^. 



"VTabee. The Bish or Bikh. A powerful Indian 



■^ poison obtained from Aconitum ferox. 



Naege'lia. Named after Karl Nsegeli, an eminent 

 German botanist. Nat. Ord. Gesneracece. 



This genus was formerly included with Ges- 

 nera, of which the type is the well-known G. 

 zehrina. They are deciduous green-house 

 plants natives of Mexico. The leaves are 

 oval-shaped, of a green color, and have a 

 velvety appearance, being thickly covered 

 with short crimson hairs, which give them a 

 rich velvet-like hue. They have erect racemes 

 of large, showy flowers, mostly bright scarlet. 

 They are propagated and cultivated the same 

 as I'ecommended for Gesnera. 



Nagkesur. See Mesua. 



Na'ias. From Naias, water nymph. A genus 

 giving its name to the order NaidacecB. All 

 the species are little branching herbs, grow- 

 ing under water and are only of botanical 

 interest. 



Naidaceae. Pond-weed Family. A natural order 

 of plants living in fresh or salt water, widely 

 distributed over the globe, and of but little 

 horticultural interest. There are about six- 

 teen genera and over one hundred species ; 

 Aponogeton, Nais, and Triglochin are examples. 



Nail-v7ort. A common name for Paronychia, 

 which see. 



Naked Seeds. Seeds having no pericarpal 

 covering, as in Conifers and Cycads. 



Na'ma. From nama, a stream of water ; allud- 

 ing to their natural habitat. Nat. Ord. Hydro- 

 phyllaceoe. 



A genus of annual or perennial herbs or 

 shrubs, natives of northwest America and 

 Mexico. The species are not much cultivated. 

 N. Parryii, the best known, introduced to 

 cultivation from California in 1881, is a half- 

 hardy herbaceous plant, with lilac-purple flow-- 

 ers in dense clusters, on terminal branched 

 panicles. It is propagated by division or by 

 cuttings. 



Nancy Pretty. A common English name for 

 Saxifraga u)iihrosa. 



Nandi'na. From Nandin, the name of the 

 shrub in Japan. Nat. Ord. Berberidacece. 



N. domestica, the only representative of the 

 genus is a handsome, erect, half-hardy green- 

 house shrub, witk ternately-compound leaves 

 and terminal compound panicles of white 

 flowers with yellow anthers, followed by 

 round, red berries, about the size of peas. It 

 is a native of China and Japan where it is 

 extensively grown ; it is also a favorite orna- 

 mental plant in the Southern States where it 

 is now thoroughly domesticated. It was 

 introduced to cultivation in 1804, and is 

 propagated by cuttings of the well-ripened 

 wood. 



Na'nnorhops. From nannos, dwarf, and rhops, 

 a bush ; in reference to the low growth of the 

 plant. Nat. Ord. Palmacem. 



N. Ritcheana, the only described species, is a 

 low, unarmed, plant-stove palm, with a tufted, 

 creeping caudex. The leaves of this plant are 

 used in India for the manufacture of fans, 

 sandals, baskets, etc. It is propagated by off- 

 sets or by seeds. 



Nano'des. From nanodes, a pigmy. Nat, Ord. 

 OrchidacecB. 



A small genus of very dwarf, rare and beauti- 

 ful Orchids, natives of Bi'azil and the West 

 Indies. N. MeduscB, the principal one under cul- 

 tivation, is thus described by B. S. Williams, 

 in the " Orchid Growers' Manual." "This is 

 a very rare, most extraordinary, and beautiful 

 plant, very distinct in habit from any other 

 Orchid I have seen. There is no bulb to support 

 it,only a woody stem with light green leaves on 

 both sides, which are about three inches long ; 

 flowers large, terminal, produced two or more 

 together ; sepals and petals light green, tinged 

 with brown ; lip large and spreading, deeply 

 fringed round the margin, rich maroon in 

 color, except towards the base, "where it is 

 green. It requires to be grown on a block, or 



