AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



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MANDRAGORA (the old Greek name used by 

 Hippocrates). Mandrake. ORD. Solanacece. A genus 

 comprising three or four species of hardy perennial, 

 almost stemless, herbs, with large thick roots, inhabiting 

 the Mediterranean region. Flowers pale bluish-violet, 

 whitish or purplish, large, reticulately veined; corolla 

 campanulate, somewhat five-cleft ; lobes rather broad, flat, 

 imbricated. Berry globose. Primordial leaves of the 

 stem abbreviated, sub-radical, petiolate, large, undulated 

 or sinuate-toothed ; older ones often narrower and entire. 

 The species are chiefly of botanical interest, and scarcely 

 merit a place in the garden. They thrive in a deep, 

 light soil, and in a shady situation. Propagated by 

 seeds, or by divisions of the root. 



M. autumnalis (autumnal). /. violet-coloured, on pale purple 

 scapes ; corolla spreading. September. I. oblong, pilose, 

 wrinkled, undulated, bristly on the upper surface, h. oin. to 

 12in. South Europe, 1548. Supposed to be the Mandrake 

 mentioned in the 30th chapter of Genesis. (S. B. F. G. 

 ser. ii. 325.) 



M. offlcinaUs (officinal). A synonym of M. vernalis. 

 M. vernalis (spring).* Devil's Apples, fl. white or bluish. 

 May. 1. oblong-lanceolate and ovate, acute, 1ft. long, undulated. 

 A. 1ft. South Europe, 1548. See Fig. 511. 

 MANDRAKE. See Mandragora. 

 MANETTIA (named after Xavier Manetti, Prefect 

 of the Botanic Gardens at Florence in the middle of the 

 eighteenth century). STNS. Bellardia, Conotrichia, Guag- 

 nebina, Lygistum, and Nacibea. ORD. Rubiacece. A genus 

 of thirty species of very ornamental, stove, evergreen, 

 herbaceous or suffruticose climbers, natives of tropical 

 America and sub-tropical Australia, allied to Bouvardia. 

 Flowers white, blue, or red, on axillary peduncles ; corolla 

 funnel-shaped, with a terete tube and a hairy throat ; 

 peduncles one or many-flowered. Leaves ovate-oblong, 

 or sub-cordate; stipules broad, short, acute. The species 

 are of easy culture in a compost of peat, loam, and sand, 

 in equal parts. Many are exceedingly useful for grow- 

 ing on a trellis, a rafter, or pillar, pruning occasionally 

 where very strong growth is made. Propagation is 

 effected by cuttings, made of the young shoots, and in- 

 serted in a sandy soil, in bottom heat. 

 M. bicolor (two-coloured), fl. bright scarlet at the lower portion, 

 yellow towards the apical part of the tube, solitary and axillary. 

 March. I. lanceolate, tapering to a point, bright green, opposite. 

 Organ Mountains, 1843. (F. d. S. 61.) 



M. coccinea (scarlet), fl. having a white tube spotted with red, 

 a throat closed by yellow hairs, and four oval-acute lobes, which 

 are scarlet and villous above ; peduncles axillary, racemose, few- 

 flowered. May and June. I. ovate, acuminated, glabrous, shining. 

 Branches tetragonal. French Guiana, 1806. (B. B. 693.) 

 M. cordifolia (cordate-leaved), fl. scarlet, lin. long, villous 

 inside ; peduncles axillary, one-flowered. August to October. 

 I. ovate, cordate at the base, acute at the apex, pubescent. Brazil, 

 1832. A very useful species, flowering from winter until early 

 summer. (B. M. 3202.) 



M. micans (glittering), fl. rich orange, with yellowish lobes ; 

 panicles leafy, many-rlowered. Early winter. I. ovate-lanceolate, 

 cordate at the base, bright shining green, on very short petioles. 

 Magna, Peru, 1865. A very handsome, strong-growing species, and 

 one of the best in cultivation. (B. M. 5495.) 



MANGEL WURZEL (Beta vulgaris macrorhiza). 

 A cultivated race of Beta vulgaris, largely grown as 

 fodder for cattle. 



MANGIFERA (from Mango, the Hindoo name of 

 the fruit, and fero, to bear). ORD. Anacardiacece. A 

 genus containing less than fourteen species of stove 

 evergreen trees, natives of tropical Asia. Flowers pedi- 

 cellate, in branched terminal panicles ; calyx four or 

 five-partite; petals four or five, spreading, imbricated. 

 Fruit sub-reniform or ovoid, fleshy. Leaves alternate, 

 petiolate, simple, entire, coriaceous. The Mango-tree, 

 M. indica, is sometimes seen in this country, and its 

 fruit has been occasionally grown to perfection. It 

 thrives best in a compost of peat and rich loam. Pro- 

 pagated by cuttings of nearly ripened shoots, inserted 

 in sand, under a glass, and in bottom heat. 

 M. indica (Indian). Mango-tree. fl. whitish, streaked with 



yellow, disposed in loose terminal bunches or panicles. July. 



M angifera con tinned. 



fr. somewhat kidney-shaped, yellowish and reddish, or speckled 

 with black when fully ripe, and replete with a fine agreeable 

 juice. I. oblong-lanceolate, stalked, 7in. to Sin. long, and 2in. or 

 more broad, h. 60ft. East Indies, 1690. (B. M. 4510.) 



MANGLESIA. Included under Grevillea (which 

 see). 



MANGLILLA. A synonym of Myrsine (which 



see). 



MANGOSTANA. A synonym of Garcinia (which 

 see}. 



MANGOSTEEN. See Garcinia Mangostana. 

 MANGO-TREE. See Mangifera iudica. 

 MANGROVE. See Rhizopkora. 

 MANICARIA (from manica, a glove; referring to 

 the spathe which surrounds the flower stem). STN. 

 Pilophora. ORD. Palmes. This genus comprises two 

 or three species of robust, unarmed, stove Palms, natives 

 of tropical America, from Northern Brazil to New 

 Grenada. Flowers yellowish-pink, rather large, sweetly 

 scented; spadix interfoliaceous. Leaves terminal, large, 

 rigid, sub-erect, lanceolate, acute, plicate-nerved, serrate, 

 at length pinnatisect. M. saccifera, probably the only 

 species yet introduced, inhabits the tidal swamps of the 

 Lower Amazon Eiver, and is distinguished from nearly 

 all other Palms in the leaves being entire, or occa- 

 sionally irregularly split when old. A rich sandy loam 

 is necessary for its culture. Propagated by seeds, which 

 should be sown in a strong, moist heat. 

 M. saccifera (bag-bearing). /. of separate sexes borne upon the 

 same spike ; spikes simply branched, from 3ft. to 4ft. long, 

 hanging down among the leaves, and inclosed in an entire brown 

 spathe of a tough fibrous texture, which is at length split open. 

 fr. three-lobed, covered with blunt angular tubercles of a dry, 

 corky nature. I. simple, sometimes 30ft. long, and 4ft. to 5ft. 

 wide, with coarsely serrated edges, and transverse furrows, stiff, 

 erect upon the summit of the stem. Trunk erect, deeply ringed, 

 from 15ft. to 20ft. in height. South America, 1823. 



MANIHOT (the Brazilian name of the genus). 

 STNS. Janipha, Mandiocca. ORD. Eupnorbiaceae. A 

 genus comprising about eighty species of mostly green- 

 house tall herbs or evergreen shrubs, all natives of 

 America, and, for the most part, Brazilian; a few being 

 dispersed through the warm regions as far as Mexico. 

 Flowers usually rather large, racemose, monoecious, apeta- 

 lous; racemes terminal, or in the axils of the upper 

 leaves, simple, or slightly branched. Leaves alternate, 

 petiolate, undivided, or often digitately three to seven- 

 lobed or parted ; segments petiolate or variously con- 

 fluent, membranaceous or coriaceous, feather-veined, en- 

 tire or sinuately lobed. Some of the species of this 

 genus are of great economic value. From M. Aipi and 

 M. utilissima, Cassava, or Mandiocca meal, is obtained. 

 The root of the former plant is sweet and wholesome, and 

 is utilised as a vegetable in its native country ; but that 

 of M. utilissima is virulently poisonous and bitter. The 

 poisonous juice is, however, expressed in the process of 

 manufacture, and, when allowed to settle, deposits what 

 is known as Brazilian Arrowroot, or Tapioca. From this 

 the Tapioca of our shops is prepared. The species are 

 of little horticultural value. They thrive best in a com- 

 post of peat, loam, and sand, to which may be added a 

 small quantity of charcoal. Propagated by cuttings of 

 young, rather firm shoots, inserted in sandy peat, under 

 a bell glass, in bottom heat. 



M. Aipi (Aipi). Sweet Cassava. This differs from M. utilissima 



in having wholesome, sweet, reddish roots. 

 M. utilissima (most useful), fl. yellowish ; calyx five-lobed or 



parted. July. I. seven to five (or three) parted, glaucous beneath ; 



segments oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, acuminate, quite entire. 



Stems rising from long, thick, fleshy, cylindrical roots, erect, 



knotty, somewhat twisted, h. 3ft. South America, 1739. (B. M. 



3071, under name of Janipha Manihot.) 



MANNA ASH. See Praxinus Oriius. 

 MANNA-TREE. See Alhagi. 



