18G0.] CHAPTERS ON BRITISH BOTANY. 221 



is conjectured to be KpaTaio<;, Tlieophrastus, ix. 19 ; Billerbeck, 

 160. Sprengel only refers M. arvense to the Melainpyrunt of 

 Theophrastus (i. 96). 



Mbnyanthes. The plant firjvavdo^, or fx'qvLavOo'i, described 

 by Theophrastus (Hist. iv. 11), is referred by Sprengel to our 

 plant, M. trifoliata; but Billerbeck (196) supposes the plant 

 now called Menyanthes to be Psoralea bituminosa, Jew's-pitch. 

 Stackhouse conjectures with much probability that Menyanthes, 

 Theo., is M. nymphcBoides [Villarsia nymp1i<soides), which does 

 grow in Greece, teste Sibthorp. 



Melilotus. This is the name of a plant enumerated with 

 Lotus (Hist. vii. 14). Billerbeck refers the anciently described 

 plant to Trifolium Melilotus, or M. officinalis, of modern botanists. 

 This author states that M. coerulea is cultivated in Switzerland, 

 and is employed in the manufacture of blue cheese (195). 



Melissophyllum. This is the name of a Grecian plant, 

 named and described among the herbaceous and thornless or 

 non-prickly plants of Greece. It has not been identified with 

 our British species. We have borrowed the name, but do not 

 pretend to the possession of the plant. It is conjectured to be 

 the same as Melissa officinalis. 



Mentha. The Mints were well known in primitive times for 

 their edible and seasoning properties. Their number was great, 

 and the differences by which they were distinguished were very 

 small. The distinctions between all cultivated plants are pro- 

 bably slight, but they are usually permanent. Who knows the 

 number of British Mints? M. sylvestris, M. rotundifolia, M. 

 sativa, M. gentilis, and M. Pulegium are referred to the Mints of 

 Theophrastus by Billerbeck and Sprengel. (Bil. 150, 151 ; Spr. 

 95 ; Stack. 50 ; Theo. vi. 7 ; vii. 7.) 



Mespilus. The Wild Medlar, M. germanica, is by Billerbeck 

 referred to the fiea-TriXr) of Theophrastus. Sprengel enters Co- 

 toneaster vulgaris as one of the plants of Theophrastus. We 

 are certainly indebted to Theophrastus, or to some earlier botan- 

 ist, for the name; but we are not certain that we possess, or 

 even know, the plant which bore this ancient name. Stack- 

 house enters three plants under this name, viz. Cratagus Aza- 

 rolus, C. Oxyacantha, and Mespilus germanica. 



Myrica. Gaza, the translator of Theophrastus, sometimes 

 renders this word by Tamarix, and sometimes by Myrica. It 



