AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



313 



Macrocnexnnm continued. 



in axillary and terminal panicles ; pedicels bracteolate ; 

 corolla funnel-shaped or salver-formed ; tube sub-elongate. 

 Leavss opposite, petiolate. The only species yet in- 

 troduced is the one here described. For culture, see 

 Catesbsea. 

 M. jamaicense (Jamaica), fl. greenish-white, scented ; corymbs 



on long peduncles. I. oblong-oval, petiolate, polished, h. 10ft. 



to 15ft., or sometimes a tree 30ft. high. Jamaica, 1806. 



MACROGLOSSA STELLATARUM, or HUM- 

 MING-BIRD HAWK MOTH. This moth is of in- 

 terest to gardeners, chiefly because of the part it plays 

 in fertilising the young seeds in Honeysuckle and other 

 plants in which the flowers have long, narrow tubes. 

 In such flowers, the honey, which is the lure for insect 

 visitors, is at the bottom of the tube, and is within reach 

 only of those insects that have a long proboscis. Through 

 this organ the honey is sucked up, but, to reach the latter, 

 the head has to be thrust deep into the flower ; and, in doing 



Macroglossa stellatarum continued. 

 body is of a smoky hue, with black and white spots on 

 the hinder part, where also there are black and white 

 tufts on the sides, and a tuft of black hairs at the end 

 of the body. These tufts are spread during flight, con- 

 siderably increasing the apparent breadth of the body. 

 The flight is very rapid, the moth dashing from flower 

 to flower, remaining poised on the wing before each, 

 while it sucks out the nectar, and unconsciously trans- 

 fers the pollen from flower to flower. In mode of flight, 

 in the loud humming noise that it emits while poised 

 before a flower, and even in its general appearance, it 

 so much resembles a Humming Bird as to well deserve 

 the popular name of Humming-bird Hawk Moth. Like 

 the bird named, it flies only by day, and most actively 

 during bright sunshine, in this respect differing from 

 most of the group of Hawk Moths. The caterpillar, 

 like those of other Hawk Moths, has a slender, sharp 

 horn on the end of the body, resembling a short, erect 



FIG. 497. BRANCH AND FRUIT, IN ADULT CONDITION, OF CUDRANIA TRILOBA (MACLURA TRICUSPIDATA, see page 312). 



this, the insect carries off some of the pollen on its head 

 or back. The parts thus dusted with pollen are almost 

 certain to touch the stigma of the next flower visited ; 

 and the pollen grains adhere readily to the sticky sur- 

 face of the stigma, whereon the insect's share in the 



MACROGLOSSA STELLATARUM. 



work of fertilisation is completed. Some idea of the 

 size, form, and markings of If. stellatarum may be formed 

 from Fig. 498. The front wings are smoky, with a black 

 central dot, and dark cross-bars. The hind wings are 

 orange- coloured, with the base and margin dark. The 



tail. It is green, or pinkish-brown, sprinkled with 

 white ; the sides are bluish, with two dull white or 

 pinkish lines along each. The caterpillar feeds on 

 Lady's Bedstraws (Galium) of different kinds, and can- 

 not be said to do any damage in gardens. When full fed, 

 it burrows underground, and turns into a brown chrysalis. 



MACROMERIA (from makros, large, and men's, a 

 part ; the flowers of this genus are the largest in the 

 whole family). OED. Boraginea}. A genus comprising 

 about eight species of half-hardy perennial herbs, natives 

 of Mexico, Columbia, and Peru, allied to Onosmodium 

 and Lithospermum, from the latter of which it is distin- 

 guished by the exserted stamens, and by having the 

 corolla with a long tube, dilated at the throat. Eacemes 

 terminal, few-flowered, bracteate. Leaves alternate, ses- 

 sile, lanceolate. M. exserta is probably the only species 

 yet introduced. For culture, see Litliospernvam. 



M. exserta (exserted). fl. yellow, racemose ; style and stamens 

 much exserted. Autumn. I. lanceolate, mucronate, scabrous. 

 h. 3ft. Mexico, 1846. (B. E. 1847, 26.) 



MACROFIFER. Included under Piper (which 



see), 



2s 



