MELICOCCA 



545 



MELOLONTHA 



Greenhouse scarlet-flowered evergreens, from Australia. 

 Cuttings of the shoots when two inches long, and a little 

 hard at their base ; side-cuttings, after pruning down, 

 are the best ; sandy peat. Winter temp., 38 to 45. 

 M. me'dius (middle). See M- URCEOLATUS. 

 rota'lus (wheel-shaped). i. June. 1824. 

 ,, urceola'tus (urn-shaped). 2. May. 1824. 

 HELICO'CCA. Honey-berry. (From meli, honey, and 

 kokkos, a berry ; referring to the sweetness of the fruit. 

 Nat. ord. Soapworts [Sapindaceae]. Linn. 8-Ocfandria, 

 i-Monogynia. Allied to Talisia.) 



Stove evergreen trees. Cuttings of ripe shoots in sand, 

 under a bell-glass, in heat ; peat and loam. Winter 

 temp., 48 to 60 ; summer, 60 to 80. 

 M. austra'lis (southern). Australia. Greenhouse. 

 bi'juga (two-paired). 16. Yellow. Antilles. 1778. 



" Genip Tree." 

 olivczfo'rmis (olive-shaped). See TALISIA OLIV.E- 



FORMIS. 



panicula'ta (panicled). See HYPELATE PANICULATA. 

 ,, tri'juga (three-paired). See SCHLEICHERA TRIJUGA. 



MELI' COPE. (From meli, honey, and hope, an incision ; 

 referring to the nectary of notched glands. Nat. ord. 

 Rueworts [Rutaceas]. Linn. S-Octandria, i-Monogynia.) 

 Greenhouse evergreens. Cuttings of small side-shoots 

 in sand, under a bell-glass, in May ; sandy loam, with a 

 little peat and leaf-mould. Winter temp., 40 to 48. 

 M. Mante'llii (Mantell's). White. New Zealand. 

 terna'ta (three-leafleted). 6. White. New Zealand. 



1822. 



MELTCYTUS. (From meli, honey, and kutos, a cavity ; 

 referring to the cavity at the bottom of the stamens. 

 Nat. ord. Violads [Violaceae]. Linn. 22-Dicecia, 6- 

 Hexandria. Allied to Hymenanthera.) 



Greenhouse evergreen shrubs. Cuttings of shoots 

 getting firm, in sand, under a bell-glass, in May ; sandy 

 peat, and a little loam. Winter temp., 38 to 45. 

 Af. lanceola' tus (lance-shaped). White. New Zealand. 

 ramiflo'rus (branch-flowered). 6. White. New 

 Zealand. 1822. 



MELILO'TTJS. Melilot. (From meli, honey.and lotos, 

 the honey-lotus. Nat. ord. Leguminous Plants [Legumi- 

 nosae]. Linn. iJ-Diadelphia, ^-Decandria. Allied to 

 Trifolium.) 



Seed in common soil ; alba, by seed and by cuttings, 

 does best in a sheltered place, and is deserving of more 

 cultivation. 

 M. alba (white). 2-10. White. July. Europe, &c. 



1826. 



arbo'rea (tree). See M. ALBA. 

 brachy'loba (short-podded). See TRIGONELLA BRACHY- 



CARPA. 



, ccBfu'lea (sky-blue). See TRIGOXELLA C^RULEA. 



, leuca'niha (white-flowered). 4. White. July. 



Europe. 



, officina'lis (shop). 1-4. Yellow. July. Britain. 

 , sibi'rica (Siberian). See MEDICAGO SIBIRICA. 

 , suave' olens (sweet-smelling). 3. Yellow. July. 



Dahuria. 1824. 



MELJO'SMA. (From meli, honey, and osme, smell ; in 

 allusion to the scent of the flowers. Nat. ord. Sabiacese. 

 Allied to Sabia). 



Hardy and half-hardy, or greenhouse trees or shrubs. 

 Suckers; and perhaps cuttings of the roots. Fibrous 

 loam, peat, and sand for the greenhouse ones ; well- 

 drained soil for the hardy ones. 

 M. myria'ntha (myriad-flowered). 10-15. White. China 



and Japan. Hardy. 



pu'ngens (prickly). 5-10. India and Japan. 

 Veitchio'rum (Messrs. Veitch's). 40-50. White, in 

 large panicles. Central China. 1910. Hardy. 



MELISSA. Baku. (From melissa, a bee ; literally, a 

 bee-flower. Nat. ord. Labiates [Labiate]. Linn. 14- 

 Didynamia, i-Gymnospermia.) 



Hardy herbaceous perennials. Dividing the roots in 

 spring ; common garden soil. See BALM. 

 M. A'cinos (Acinos). See CALAMINTHA ACINOS. 

 a'lba (white). See MICROMERIA RUPESTRIS. 

 alpi'na (alpine). See CALAMINTHA ALPINA. 

 alti'ssima (tallest). See M. OFFICINALIS. 



M. cocci' nea (scarlet). See CALAMINTHA COCCINEA. 

 ,, cordifo'lia (heart-leaved). See M. OFFICINALIS. 

 crJtica (Cretan). See CALAMINTHA CRETICA. 

 ,, grandiflo'ra (large-flowered). See CALAMINTHA GRAN- 

 DIFLORA. 



(small-leaved). SeeCALAMiNTHACORSicA. 

 officina'lis (shop), i. White. July. S. Europe. 



1573- 



avfrea (golden). Leaves variegated with yellow. 

 variega'ta (striped-leaved), i. White. June. 



Gardens. 



villo'sa (shaggy). White. August. Italy. 1573. 

 ,, polya'nthos (many-flowered), i. White. July. 1820. 

 ,, pyrena'ica (Pyrenean). See HORMINUM PYRENAICUM. 



MELTTTIS. Bastard Balm. (The same derivation as 

 Melissa. Nat. ord. Labiates [Labiate]. Linn. i^-Didy- 

 namia, i-Gymnospermia.) 

 Same culture as BALM. 

 M. Mclissophy'llum (balm-leaved), i. Flesh. May. 



England. " Honey Baku." 

 a'lba (white). White. 



,, alpi'na (alpine). }. Flesh. May. Switzerland. 

 ,, grandiflo'ra (large-flowered), i. White, yellow. 

 May. England. 



ME LLOCA TUBERO'SA. See ULLUCUS TUBEROSA. 



MELOCA'CTUS. Melon Cactus, Melon Thistle. (From 

 melon, a melon, and kaktos, a thorny plant, according to 

 Theocritus. Nat. ord. Cactaceae.) 



The genus differs from Echinocactus by producing its 

 flowers on a terminal branch or offset, like a Turk's Cap, 

 the cap being covered with a dense mass of bristly hairs. 

 Seeds, offsets. Loam, peat, bricks broken finely, old 

 mortar treated in a similar way, and sand. 

 Af. commu'nis (common). 1-2. Rose-red. W. Ind. 



1788. " Turk's Cap." 



,, depre'ssus (depressed). Rose. July. Brazil. 

 ,, Ellemee'tii (Ellemeet's). Rose. Brazil. 1872. 

 hu'milis (dwarf). J. Carmine-red. Venezuela. 1897. 

 Negry'i (Negry's). Small, pink. Has no cap. Brazil. 



1901. 

 ,, Riistii (Riist's). Armature dense. Cap large. Hon- 



duras. 1901. 



Salvato'ris (Salvator's) of gardens. Mexico. 

 ,, schlumbergeria'nus (Schlumbergerian). Island of St. 

 Thomas. z86x. 



MELODI'NTTS. (From melon, an apple, and dineo, to 

 turn round ; referring to the shape of the fruit. Nat. 

 ord. Dogbanes [Apocynaceae]. Linn. 5-Pentandria, 2- 

 Digynia. Allied to Carissa.) 



The fruit of this and some other allied genera are 

 eatable, but not of much merit. Stove evergreen twiners, 

 with whhe flowers, blooming in July. Cuttings of half- 

 ripened side-shoots in sand, under a bell-glass, in heat ; 

 peat and loam, with a little sand. Winter temp., 50 to 

 60 ; summer, 68 to 85. 

 Af. mono'gynus (one-pistiled). 10. E. Ind. 1820. 



parvifo'lius (small-leaved). E. Ind. 1775. 



sca'ndens (climbing). 15. New Caledonia. 1775. 



,, undula'tus (wave -.-leaved) . E. Ind. 



MELOLONTHA. Everyone knows the common May- 

 bug, or Cockchafer (Melolontha vulgaris) ; a drawing 

 and a description of its grub are given at p. 15, voi. v., 

 of The Cottage Gardener. This grub very closely resembles 

 that of another species, M . horticola, Garden Beetle, or 

 Brackenclock Phyllopertha of some entomologists. The 

 latter beetl- (ibid., ii. 171) is found in June and July, 

 among the petals of white roses. It is nearly half an 

 inch long, and rather less than a quarter of an inch 

 broad. Its wing-cases are reddish-brown, shining, and 

 shorter than the body ; the body and head are dark 

 green, and the antennae reddish, having at their ends a 

 dark-green club. It also feeds on the leaves of apples, 

 pears, and roses, gnawing them full of small holes, and 

 even transferring its attacks to the young fruit of the 

 apple. During the latter part of July the female retires 

 into the earth for the purpose of there depositing her 

 e^gs, from which the grubs speedily are produced, and 

 feed upon the roots of plants, especially of grass. The 

 only mode of reducing the number of these beetles is 

 by scathing for them during the evening, when, if 

 detected, they stiffen their outstretched legs, and feign 



2 M 



