MICROMYRTUS 



556 



MIGNONETTE 



MICROMY'RTUS. (From mikros, small, and Myrlus, 

 a myrtle ; the shrubs of the genus resemble small 

 myrtles. Nat. ord. Myrtacea?.) 



A small bushy shrub, resembling a heath and re- 

 quiring greenhouse protection. Cuttings of hatf-ripe 

 shoots in sand, under a bell-glass, and in gentle heat. 

 Fibrous loam and peat, in equal parts, with a good dash 

 of sand. 



M. microphy'lla (small-leaved). 1-2. White. Australia. 

 1870. 



MICROPE'RA. (From mikros, small, and per a, a 

 pouch; the pouch-like labellum, or lip. Nat. ord. 

 Orchids [Orchidaceae]. Linn. 2o-Gynandria, i-Monandria. 

 Now referred to Sarcochilus.) 



Stove orchids. The ground species require to be grown 

 in loose, open soil, in a pot ; the others in a shallow 

 basket, or on a moss-covered block of wood. Winter 

 temp., 55 ; summer, 60 to 85. 



TERRESTRIAL, OR GROUND. 



M. Ba'nksii (Banks'). New Zealand. 

 me'dia (middle-sized). 2. Pale green, white. King 



George's Sound. 1823. 



parviflo'ra (small-flowered). See SARCOCHILUS PARVI- 

 FLORUS. 



EPIPHYTAL. 

 M. pa'llida (pale). Pale yellow. Sylhet. 



MICROPHCE'NIX. (From mikros, small, and Phcenix ; 

 it resembles a small Phoenix. Nat. ord. Palmaceae.) 



A greenhouse Palm, a hybrid between Microph&nix 

 decipiens and Trachycarpus excelsa. It has the habit 

 and foliage of the former, and the petioles and fruit of 

 the latter. Loam, peat, and a little sand. 

 M. Sahu'ti (Sahut's). Fruits reddish-brown. 1885. 



MICROSE'CHIUM. (From mikros, small, and Sechium ; 

 the fruit being smaller than that of Sechium.' Nat ord. 

 Cucurbitaceae.) 



Stove annual. Seeds. Fibrous loam, leaf-mould, and 

 sand. 



M. palma'tum (hand-shaped). Yellow. June. Mexico. 

 1827. 



MICRO'SERIS. (From mikros, small, and seris, wild 

 chicory ; in allusion to the appearance of the plant. 

 Nat. ord. Compositae.) 



A hardy annual. Seeds. Ordinary garden soil. 

 M. Li'ndleyi (Lindley's). Yellow. May, June. Cali- 

 fornia. 1833. 



MICROSO'RIUM. (From mikros, small, and soros, a 

 heap, a cluster of spore-cases. Nat. ord. Ferns [Filices]. 

 Now mostly referred to Nephrodium.) 



Stove ferns. Spores and offsets. Loam, peat, and 

 sand. 



M. iridioides (Iris-like). 2. E. Ind. 1828. 

 ,, irregula're (irregular). See NEPHRODIUM IRREGULARE. 



MICROSPE'RMA BARTONIOI'DES. See MENTZELIA 



GRONOVLSFOLIA. 



MICROSPE'RMA LOBA'TA. See MENZELIA LOBATA. 

 MICROSTE'PfflUM NI'VEUM. See CRYPTOSTEMMA 



MICRO'STYLIS. (From mikros, small, and stulis, a 

 style; in allusion to the small column. Nat. ord. 

 Orchidaceae.) 



Stove terrestrial Orchids. Offsets. Fibrous peat, 

 sphagnum, charcoal, and finely-broken crocks, in pots or 

 small baskets. 



M. be'lla (pretty). See M. PLANTAGINEA. 

 calophy'lla (beautiful- leaved). Yellow. Malaya. 



1879. 



chloro'phrys (green-leaved). Purple. Borneo. 1881. 

 commelyncefo'lia (Commelyna- leaved). Jaya. 

 conge'sta (congested). 2. Brown-purple, green. 



Trop. Asia. 1886. 

 di'scolor (two-coloured). Yellow, fading to orange. 



Ceylon. 1863. 



histiona' ntha (sail-flowered). Brown-green. Nicar- 

 agua. 1842. 



M. josephia'na (Josephian, or Sir Joseph Hooker's). 



Yellow. Leaves greenish-brown. Himalaya. 1877. 

 ,, Lo'wi (Low's). Purple. Borneo. 1884. 

 ,, lu'teola, (little-yellow). Neilgherries. 

 ,, macrochi'la (large-lipped). J. Green and purple. 



Malaya. 1895. 

 metallica (metallic). Yellow top sepal, the rest rose. 



Borneo. 1880. 



,, micra'ntha (small-flowered). Perak. 

 monophy'llos (one-leaved). Northern and temperate 



regions. Hardy. " Adder's Mouth." 

 ,, ocula'ta (eyed). Java. 

 ,, ophioglossoi'des (Ophioglossum-like). J. Green. 



N. Amer. 



,, mexica'na (Mexican). J. Green. Mexico. 

 ,, Philippine' nsis (Philippine), f. Yellow or purplish. 



Philippine Islands. 1907. 

 ,, plantagi'nea (plantain-like). 2. Light purple, green. 



Malaya. 1886. 



,, purpu'rea (purple). Purple. Ceylon. 

 Rhee'dii (Rheed's). S. India. 

 ,, Sco'ttii (Scott's). 4. Green and purple. Leaves 



brown, with green edge. Malaya. 

 ,, trilobula'ta (three-small-lobed). See M. CONGESTA. 

 ,, Ventila'brwn (wind-lipped). Yellow. Sunda Islands. 



1881. 

 ,, versi' color (variable-coloured), i. Variable in colour. 



S. India. 1830. 



,, Walli'chii (Wallich's). India. 

 ,, bi'loba (two-lobed). Lip two-lobed. Nepal. 



MIGNONETTE. Restfda odora'ta. 



Soil. Light loam, well drained, and manured with 

 leaf-mould. 



Sowing in the open ground, from the end of April to 

 the beginning of July, will produce a sure succession of 

 blooms through the year. If allowed to seed, and the 

 soil suits it, mignonette will continue to propagate itself. 

 If not allowed to ripen its seed, the same plants will 

 bloom for two or more seasons, being a perennial in its 

 native country. 



For Pot-Culture and the production of flowers to 

 succeed those of the open-ground plants, and to bloom 

 in winter, sow once in August, and again in September. 

 The soil as above, well drained, and pressed into 5-inch 

 pots ; cover the seed a fourth of an inch. Thin the 

 seedlings to three in a pot. Water sparingly. When 

 mignonette is deficient of perfume, it is because the 

 temperature is too low. 



Tree- Mignonette. About the end of April is the best 

 time to sow seeds for this purpose ; and as the little tree 

 of mignonette will be expected to last in good health 

 for half a dozen years at least, lay a good foundation 

 to begin with. A rich compost of mellow loam, and one- 

 third very rotten cow-dung, with a little sand ; and to 

 keep this from getting too close, a handful of dry lime- 

 mortar added to each pot of 6-inch diameter, and so 

 in proportion for larger or smaller pots ; the mortar to 

 be in lumps of the size of peas. Bones, charcoal, or 

 even powdered crocks would answer the same purpose, 

 only the mignonette is so much sweeter from the lime- 

 rubbish or dry mortar. Cow-dung being very liable to 

 turn sour, the mortar is a better corrector of this than 

 even the charcoal. Take as many 3-inch pots as you 

 want plants ; drain them with pieces of mortar, and 

 over that a little of the roughest of your compost ; fill 

 up nearly level with the top of the pot, and place three 

 seeds in the very middle of each pot, and nine or ten 

 seeds all over the surface ; if you just cover them with 

 earth it is enough, and press them down very tight. 

 Water them, and put them up in the window, or green- 

 house, and if the seeds are good they will be up in less 

 than ten days ; give them abundance of air, and no 

 forcing. When the day is at all fine, put them outside 

 the window from ten to three in the afternoon. They 

 will not stand much water; a gentle shower with a 

 rose would suit them very well, and the best time to give 

 it them is in the morning, when you turn them outside, 

 as they will have time to drain and dry properly before 

 you take them in for the night. If the three seeds in the 

 centre come up, the weakest of the three must be pulled 

 out as soon as you can get hold of it ; the rest to be 

 thinned one-half. The reason for sowing so many seeds 

 in one pot, and for thus thinning them out afterwards, 

 is to make sure of one good plant ; if the middle one 



