MEGARRHIZA 



543 



MELANTHIUM 



M. ma'ximum (largest), i. Yellow, green. W. Trop. 

 Africa. 1836. 



melanorrha'chis (black-rachised). Brown, pale 

 yellow. W. Trop. Africa. 1875. 



minu'tum (minute). J. Orange-red. Sierra Leone. 

 1893. 



Nummula'ria (Nummularia). J. Purplish. Came- 

 roons. 1894. 



oxy'odon (sharp-toothed), i. Yellow, red. Mada- 

 gascar. 1888. 



platyrha'chis (broad-rachised). Greenish dotted 



with brown. British Central Africa. 1903. 

 A'frica. 1871. 



purpura'tum (purple). Greenish, purple. 



Trop. 



purpu'reo-rha'chis (purple-rachised). Dark brown. 



Congo. 1909. 

 pusi'llum (puny). Green and purple. E. Trop. 



Africa. 1894. 



Sanderso'ni (Sanderson's). S. Africa. 

 scabe'rulum (finely-scabrous). J. Dull purple, 



whitish- green. Pondoland. 1888. 

 tri'sU (sad), i. Black-purple. Trop. Africa. 1894. 

 veluti'num (velvety). Purple. Yellow. W. Trop. 



Africa. 1845. 



MEGARRHTZA. (From megas, great, and rhiza, a 

 root ; in allusion to the large, tuberous root. Nat. ord. 

 Cucurbitacea?. Now referred to Echinocystis.) 



Hardy tuberous-rooted perennial. Seeds in gentle 

 heat in spring. Rich, light soil. 



M. califo'rnica (Calif ornian). Yellow. Stems 20-30 ft. 

 long. California. 1881. Now referred to Echino- 

 cy'stis faba'cea. 



MEGA'SEA. See SAXIFRAGA. 



MEIRACY LLIUM. (From meirakullion, a little boy, 

 the diminutive of meirax ; in allusion to the small size 

 of the plants. Nat. ord. Orchidaceae.) 



Stove epiphytes, best grown on blocks. Divisions. 

 Sphagnum. 

 M. Ge'mma (Gemma). Amethyst. Mexico. 1869. 



MELALEU'CA. (From melas, black, and leukos, white ; 

 referring to the colours of the old and young bark. Nat. 

 ord. Myrtleblooms [Myrtaceae]. Linn. i8-Polyadelphia, 

 2-Polyandria.) 



Evergreen shrubs, from Australia, except where other- 

 wise mentioned. Cuttings of the shoots in May, as they 

 are getting firm at their base, and not more than three 

 inches in length, in sand, under a bell-glass ; peat and 

 loam, most of the latter, with a fair portion of sand, and 

 nodules of charcoal. Winter temp., 38 to 45. Many 

 are about as hardy as a myrtle, and will stand against a 

 conservatory wall with a little protection. 



STOVE EVERGREENS. 



M. Leucade'ndron (white tree). 15. White. Australia. 



1796. " Cajeputi." 



mi' nor (smaller). White. Australia. 1800. " Smaller 

 Cajeputi." 



GREENHOUSE EVERGREENS. 



M. acero'sa (sharp-pointed). Purple. June. 

 acumina'ta (long-pointed). Australia. 

 armilla'ris (braceleted). 3-6. White. June. 1788. 

 austra'lis (southern) of gardens. 

 ,, callistemo' 'nea (beautiful-stamened). See M. LATE- 



RITIA. 

 calyci'na (/afg-calyxed). 3. Purple. July. N. 



Amer. 1803. 



,, culicula'ris (cuticled). Australia. 

 decussa'ta (decussate-leaved). 4. Lilac. August. 



1803. 



de'nsa (thickly-leaved). 2. Purple. 1803. 

 diosmifo'lia (Diosma-leaved). 4. Reddish. June. 



1794. 



dump'sa (bushy). 2. 



ericifo'lia (heath-leaved). Yellow. June. Australia. 

 erube'scens (blushing-stamened). See M. ERICIFOLIA. 

 exara'ta (furrowed). Australia. 

 Fra'seri (Eraser's). See M. STRIATA. 

 fu'lgens (splendid). 6. Scarlet. August. 1803. 

 genistifo'lia (broom-leaved). 4. Red. 1793. 



M. gibbo'sa (humped). Australia. 

 globe 1 rrima (smoothest). Australia. 

 globi'fera (globe-bearing). 20-25. Australia. 

 gra'ndis (grand). 4. 

 Huege'lii (Huegel's). 1832. 

 hypericifo'lia (St. John's- wort- leaved). 3. Scarlet. 



July. 1792. 



imbrica'ta (overlapping). Australia. 

 inca'na (hoary). 3. Yellow. July. 1817. 

 juniperoi'des (juniper-like). See M. NODOSA. 

 lanceola'ta (speai-hend-leaved). See M. LEUCADEN- 



DRON. 



Uteri 'tia (brick-red). Purple, rose. June. 

 linea'ris (linear). See CALLISTEMON LINEARIS. 

 micro' mera (small-parted). Australia. 

 neriifo'lia (Nerium-leaved). See TRISTANIA NERII- 



FOLIA. 



neso'phila (island-loving). Australia. 

 nodo'sa (thick-noded) of Smith. 3. Striped. June. 



1830. 



nodo'sa (thick-noded) of Link. See. M. ERICIFOLIA. 

 paludo'sa (marsh). See CALLISTBHON SPECIOSUS. 

 parviflo'ra (small-flowered). See M. PREISSIANA. 

 pretssia'na (Preiss's). Australia. 

 pulche'lla (neat). 2. Purple. July. 1803. 

 Ra'dula (file-like). Pink. May. 

 salicifo'lia (willow-leaved). See TRISTANIA NERII- 



FOLIA. 



sca'bra (rough-leaved). 3. Purple. May. 1803. 

 seria'ta (row-ranged). Rose. June. 

 spino'sa (spiny). See M. THYMOIDES. 

 squa'mea (scaly-calyxed). 4. Lilac. June. 1805. 

 squarro'sa (spreading). 2. White. 1794. 

 stria' ta (channeUed-leaved). 4. Purple. June. 1803. 

 slyphelioi'des (Styphelia-like). 4. White. June. 



1793- 



tetrago'na (four-angled). See M. DECUSSATA. 

 thymifo'lia (thyme-leaved). 2. Purple. August. 



1792. 



thymoi 'des (thyme-like). Yellow. June. Australia. 

 thyoi'des (Thuya-like). Australia. 

 trichophy'lla (hair-leaved). Pink. May. 

 trine 'rtria (three-nerved). 3. 1816. 

 uncina'ta (hooked). Australia. 

 vimi'nea (twiggy). Australia. 

 virga'ta (twiggy). See B^ECKEA VIRGATA. 

 Wilso'nii (Wilson's). Reddish-purple. Australia. 



1874. 



MELAMPO'DIUM. (From melas, black, pous, a foot ; 

 in allusion to the black flower-stalks. Nat. ord. Com- 

 positae.) 



Hardy annual. Seeds. Ordinary soil. 

 M. divarica'tum (spreading), and M. ovatifo'lium (egg- 

 shaped-leaved). See M. PALUDOSUM. 

 ,, paludo'sum (marshy). Yellow. S. Amer. 1891. 



MELANORRHCE'A. (From melas, black, and rheo, to 

 flow ; referring to the juice becoming black varnish. 

 Nat. ord. Anacards [Anacardiaceae]. Linn. 2$-Polygynia, 

 2-Dioecia.) 



The black poisonous varnish of Martaban is the produce 

 of this tree, the Theet-see, or Kheu of India. Stove ever- 

 green tree. Cuttings of ripe shoots, with the leaves on, 

 in sand, under a glass, and in heat ; peat and loam. 

 Winter temp., 55 to 60 ; summer, 60 to 85. 

 M. gla'bra (smooth). Burma. 

 ,, usita'ta (common). 100. Red. Burma. 1829. 



"Black Varnish." 

 usitati'ssima (most useful). See M. USITA'TA. 



MELANTHE'RA. (From melas, black, and anther a, 

 an anther. Nat. ord. Comppsitae.) 



Stove herbs. Seeds and divisions. Loam, leaf-mould, 

 and a little sand. 

 M. deltoi'dea (delta-like). 3. Yellow. July. Trop. 



Amer. 1799. 

 hasta'ta (halbert-shaped). 3-5. White. June. 



Trop. Amer. 1732. 

 ,, ,, pandura'ta (fiddle-shaped-leaved). 



MELA'NTHTUM. (From melas, black, and anthos, a 

 flower ; referring to the dusky blossoms. Nat. ord. 

 Lilyworts [Liliaceae]. Linn. 6-Hexandria, 3~Trigynia. 

 Allied to Veratrum.) 



