6 t 



MALLEUS. 



MALVA. 



610 



recant Aricula 21, and the number of total species 6. (Paris, Gripnon, 

 Senlia, ftc. ; Chaumont, Parii Basin, Maastricht, and Cypli ; the Corn- 

 braah in England and France, the Middle and Upper Oolite in England 

 and Prance, and the Muschelkalk in Germany, Lorraine, and Toulon.) 

 The Meleayriiue are two in number, both recent. Dr. Mautoll men- 

 tions species in the Chalk HarL (' Organic Remains of Sussex.') 

 Professor Phillipa reoordi species in the Coralline Oolite and Calcareous 

 Grit, in the Oxford Clay, Kelloways Rock, Bath Oolite, Inferior Oolite, 

 and MarUtone. (< Geology of Yorkshire.') Mr. Lonsdale notice* species 

 in the Lias, Inferior Oolite, Fuller's Earth, Bradford Clay, Cornbrash, 

 and Kclloway Rock. (' Oolitic District of Bath.') Professor Sedgwick 

 and Sir H. Murchison mention the genus among the Gosau Fossils. 

 (' Geological Transactions.') Dr. Fitton records species in the Upper 

 Qreenamiid, the Gault, the Lower Greensand, and the Portland Sand. 

 (' Strata between the Chalk and Oxford Oolite,' ' Geological Trans- 

 actions.') Sir R. Murchison figures species from the Old Red-Sand- 

 stone (middle and lower beds only), from the Upper Ludlow Rock, 

 the Amestry Limestone, the Lower Ludlow Rock, the Wenlock 

 Limestone, and the Caradoc Sandstone. 



M. Deahayes also concurs in merging the genus ifeleagrina in that 

 of Aricvla, which, according to M. Deshayes's reformation of the 

 genus, will contain also the fossil genus Monotu of Broun. 



VulttUa. M, Deshayeg, in his ' Tables' (Lyell), gives the number of 

 recent species as 5 and 1 fossil (tertiary). In the last edition of 

 Lamarck he makes the recent species 6, with no addition to the fossil 

 species. (Grignon, Lamarck; Paris, Deshayes.) Woodward, in his 

 'Treatise,' gives 4 as the cumber of fossil species from the Upper 

 Chalk. 



MALLEUS. [EAR.] 



MALLOW. [MALTA.] 



MALLOW, MARSH. [ALTHJEA.] 



MALLOW-WORTS. [MAUVACEA] 



M ALOPE, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Mai- 

 vaeta, consisting of two species, one of which is commonly cultivated 

 as a favourite hardy annual This plant, Malope malacoida, is com- 

 mon in Barbary, where it is found among stones and rocks, which it 

 ornament* with its large crimson flowers ; it is also met with in 

 Sardinia and other parts of the south of Europe. The genus differs 

 from Afalra in having ife carpels distinct, and heaped irregularly over 

 a central receptacle, instead of being placed in a whorl and consoli- 

 ilaU-d. Three or perhaps four other species are known to botanists. 



MALPIGHIA'CE^E, Malpiyhiadt, a natural order of Exogenous 



IfalpifMa mirropliylla. 



I, An entire (lower, mneh magnified i I, the tUmeni and pUtlli ; 9, a tioni. 

 T*nt Mttion of the rip* trait. 



Plants, with polypetalous flowers, trygynous pistils, usually mona- 

 delphous stamens, and alternate cxstipulate leaves, inhabiting various 

 parts of the tropics. They are usually shrubs or trees, and but seldom 

 herbaceous plants. In addition to the more general characters already 

 mentioned they have, in a majority of case*, a pair of convex oval 

 glands an the face of each sepal, and in many species the hairs are 

 attached to the leaves, Ac., by the middle; so that hairs of that 

 description have acquired the name of Malpighiaceous. Many of them 

 are beautiful objects, especially the Qalphimitu and climbing species 

 of Ilirini and Banttttria. A few only are useful. The bark of Mai- 

 pighia Moureila and M. crtutifolia is a kind of febrifuge. The fruit of 

 Malpighia glabra is the Barbadoes Cherry of the West Indies ; it varies 

 in size from that of a large pea to a small cherry, is smooth, shining, 

 and has three triangular stones ; its flesh is juicy and sweet, but 

 insipid. The fruit of Bynonima coriaeta, or Lotus-Berry of the West 

 Indies, is of much better quality ; it is yellow, and contains a single 

 stone. A few kinds produce timber of a bright yellow colour. The 

 bark of some of the species is used for tanning and as a touio and 

 astringent. 



The order is nearly related to the Acemcetr, or Sycamores of colder 

 climates, differing in little except the ternary division of the fruit, 

 the symmetrical flowers with unguioulate petals, and the pendulous 

 or suspended seeds. 



There are 42 genera and 555 species of the order. 



MALTHA. (PETROLEUM.] 



M ALTHACITE, a Mineral, occurring in thin plates and massive. 

 Fracture uneven or couchoidaL Colour white or yellowish. Streak 

 shining. Soft like wax. Lustre waxy, weak. Streak shining. Trans- 

 lucent. Specific gravity 1'99 to 2'01. It is found at Stendorfal, 

 between Lobau and Bauzen, and near Beraun in Bohemia. Its analysis 

 by Meissner givea 



Silica 60-2 



Alumina . 



Lime 



Peroxide of Iron 



Water 



107 

 0-2 

 3-1 



35-8 



-100 



MALVA (the Latin Malra), a genus of Plants belonging to the 

 natural order Afalvacea. It has numerous styles, a double calyx, tin 1 

 outer one 3-leaved, the inner one 5-leaved. The capsules are orbicular 

 and many celled ; the cells 1-seeded and circularly arranged. 



it. Moichata, the Musk Mallow, has an erect stem, kidney-shaped 

 leaves, with five or seven deep pinnatifid lobes, the lower leaves iuciso- 

 crenate, the stipules lanceolate-acute, the fruit-stalks erect, and the 

 fruit hairy. The flowers are large and rose-coloured, on axillary 

 single-flowered peduncles, crowded at the extremity of the stem and 

 branches. It is native in many parts of Europe, and is found in 

 Britain in grassy borders of fields and by waysides. 



M. tylvettrit, Common Mallow, bos an erect stem, and is distinguished 

 by its kidney-shaped leaves with seven deep crenate lobes ; the fruit 

 is glabrous, reticulate-rugose. The flowers are large and of a purple 

 colour, much longer than the calyx, which is hairy. It grows on waste 

 places and roadsides in Britain, and is native in most parts of Europe. 

 The whole plant, but especially the root, yields when boiled a-plenti- 

 ful tasteless mucilage, which is used in some cases of internal irritation. 

 Decoctions of the leaves are employed in dysentery and in general for 

 removing supposed acrimonious humours, but their chief utility is in 

 clysters, fomentations, and poultices. The fruit of this and the next 

 species are eaten by children and are called Cheeses, and in France, 

 Fromagions. This species is the Mairaof Pliny, lib. 20, cap 21 ; also, 

 in Columella, lib. 10, cap. 247 ; it is the MaAdxi of Theophrastus, lib. 

 9, cap. 17, and the KTJTJUTTJ /ioArfxi of Dioscorides, lib. 2, cap. 144. 



M. rolundifolia, Dwarf Mallow, has a decumbent stem, roundish 

 heart-shaped leaves with five shallow acutely crenate lobes, the outer 

 sepals linear-lanceolate, shorter than the ovate acuminate stellately 

 hairy inner ones. The flowers are small and purple, and two or three 

 times longer than the calyx. It is common in waste places in moat 

 parts of Europe, and is native of Britain. It is the M, rulgaru of 

 Fries, the 'Aypla /uiAcixq of Dioscorides, loc. cit., and the Malache 

 sylvestris of Pliny, loc. cit. 



M. bortalit has its outer sepals linear, as long as the ovate-acute 

 glabrous but strongly-ciliated inner ones ; the petals as long as the 

 calyx ; the fruit pubescent, margined, reticulate-rugose. It is the If. 

 putilla of Smith, the M. rolumdifoKa of Fries. It is found in Britain, 

 near Hythe in Kent There are many other species of Mallow. 



M. vrrticillata has an erect stem, cordate leaves, with five deep 

 ere note-dentate triangular acute lobes; flowers axillary, clustered, nearly 

 sessile ; outer sepals linear, half as long as the reticulated diaphanous 

 pilose enlarged inner ones ; petals about as long as the calyx ; fruit 

 glabrous ; carpels rounded on the edge, reticulated. The flowers are 

 small ; carpels separated by a deep furrow, into which the clavate 

 reticulated surface extends. Central disc very small ; stem quite erect, 

 like a little hollyhock. Petioles several times longer than the clusters. 

 It is found near Llanelly, South Wales. 



Those mentioned are the only natives of Britain, and the others are 

 of little importance excepting as ornamental plants. Those best worth 

 cultivation for this purpose are M. Motchata, M. Morenii. M. alcta 

 M. Mnrgano, and M. ftuynutUa. The stove species will succeed iu 



