342 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Medinilia continued. 



entire, fleshy, three to nine-nerved ; nerves sometimes 

 pinnate. The species do best in a compost of peat, 

 thoroughly decomposed leaf mould, and light loam, in 

 equal parts, with about a sixth part of silver sand 

 added. Medinillas luxuriate in a moist atmosphere and 

 a high temperature. All those described below are 

 branched, more or less erect, shrubs, not climbers. 



M. amabilis (lovely).* /. rosy-pink, in large panicles, which are 

 erect, and composed of four-branched whorls, the branches each 

 forming a cyme of numerous flowers. Spring. I. opposite, sessile, 

 oblong-obovate, obtuse, with a short acuminate point, 1ft. long, 

 7in. to Sin. broad. Stem quadrangular ; angles furnished with a 

 narrow undulated wing. India, 1874. (B. M. 6681 ; G. C. n. s., 

 xvii. 561.) 



M. Cnrtisli (Curtis').*/, white, in terminal panicles; peduncles 

 and pedicels coral-red ; stamens purple. I. opposite, elliptic, 

 acute, rather fleshy, three-nerved. Sumatra, 1884. (B. M. 6730.) 



M. javanensis (Java), fl. of a pale flesh-co|our, nearly lin. 

 across, with very dark purple anthers, disposed in short terminal 

 panicles. Winter. I. opposite, sessile, somewhat cordate, elliptic, 

 rather acuminated. A. 4ft. Java, 1850. (B. M. 4569.) 



M. magninca (magnificent) * fl. rosy-pink, borne in very large, 

 terminal, pendulous racemes, continuing a long time in perfection. 

 May. I. opposite, broadly ovate, smooth, rich shining green, Sin. 

 to lOin. long. A. 3ft. Manilla. A lovely plant. See Fig. 531. 

 (B. M. 4533.) 



M. Sieboldiana (Siebold's). fl. white, about fin. across, dis- 

 posed in a thyrsoid drooping panicle ; stamens purple. Winter 

 I. oblong, tapering to each end, fleshy. A. 4ft Moluccas. (B. M. 

 4650.) 



M. speclosa (showy), fl. crimson, in large, drooping, panicled 

 racemes. July. I. almost sessile, four in a whorl, rarely opposite, 

 ovate-oblong. A. 2ft. to 3ft. Java, 1845. (B. M. 4321.) 



MEDLAR (Mespilus germanica.) The wild Medlar, 

 from which the cultivated varieties have originated, is a 

 common deciduous shrub, or small tree, found in hedges 

 and woods throughout a great part of the European con- 

 tinent. It has been found in some parts of England ; 

 but whether the plants were, in all cases, truly wild, or 

 had become naturalised, is somewhat uncertain. Under 

 cultivation, the varieties of Medlar differ in habit, the 

 majority being characterised by a spreading, crooked 

 growth, many of the branches assuming an elbowed form, 

 by turning at right angles in various directions. The 

 fruits are produced on the points of main or side shoots. 

 They are hard and useless until beginning to decay, when 

 the green colouring matter passes away, the flesh or pulp 

 becoming soft, and acquiring what is considered by some 

 an agreeably acid flavour. In this incipient state of 

 decay (the process of which is called bletting),ihQ fruits 

 are generally eaten raw, but sometimes they are pre- 

 served with sugar. 



Propagation. The general method of propagation 

 adopted for Medlars is that of budding or grafting. 

 Seedling plants may also be raised, if desired, with a 

 view to obtaining new varieties or stocks. The seeds 

 should be sown so soon as the fruit is ripe. Two years 

 usually elapse before they vegetate, and the young plants 

 must be tied and kept in an upright position, to preserve 

 tolerably straight stems. Besides the Medlar itself, the 

 Pear, Quince, and Whitethorn may also be used as 

 stocks whereon to bud or graft the cultivated varieties. 

 The Pear stock is well adapted for grafting standard 

 high, and succeeds well on ordinary soils; the Quince 

 roots near the surface, and is suited, in consequence, for 

 moist situations; while the White Hawthorn is readily 

 obtained in quantity, is preferred as a stock on the Con- 

 tinent, and is, perhaps, best for light soils and com- 

 paratively dry situations. Cleft-grafting in April, with 

 scions of the previous summer's growth, having the 

 extremities removed, and shield-budding, with well-formed 

 dormant buds, in July, are the two methods of propaga- 

 tion usually pursued. The heading-down, or disbudding, 

 of the stock must be attended to so soon as a union is 

 effected between it and the bud or graft, and the latter 

 will require to be kept well staked. See also Budding 

 and Grafting. 



Medlar continued. 



General Cultivation. Medlars are not very particular 

 regarding soil ; but they generally succeed best in some- 

 what sheltered positions, where the soil is loamy, and in- 

 clined to be moist rather than dry. The trees are usually 

 trained as standards, and require but little pruning, 

 beyond thinning out weak growths, to admit light and 

 air to the stronger ones, and to prevent the branches 

 crossing each other. The large Dutch Medlar, which 

 is very extensively cultivated, assumes a naturally crooked 

 and rustic growth ; while the small-fruited Nottingham 

 variety is distinct in being of better quality, and of an 

 upright habit. The fruit from Medlars should not be 

 gathered until about the end of October, or even later, 

 if frosta are not prevalent. It should be collected on 

 a dry day, and laid out thinly on a cool fruit-room shelf. 

 A fungus frequently attacks the stems, and passes to 

 other parts, of the fruit, thus rendering it useless. This 

 must be looked for occasionally, and any specimens that 

 are found affected should be at once removed. The 

 process of bletting usually takes from two to three weeks 

 at the least, and some fruits may keep good for several 

 weeks afterwards. 



Varieties. The following are the best sorts of Medlar 

 in cultivation : 



Dutch. Fruit very large, and much flattened, sometimes 2in. in 

 diameter; eye wide open; flavour good, but inferior to the 

 Nottingham. The most extensively cultivated variety, on ac- 

 count of its size. SYNS. Broad-leaved Dutch, Large Dutch, &c. 

 Nottingham. Fruit smaller than the preceding, about lin. in 

 diameter, of a rich sub-acid flavour, superior to any other variety. 

 The leaves are small, and the tree of upright -growing habit. 

 SYN. Small-fruited. 



Stoneless. Fruit small, from Sn. to |in. in diameter. The 

 fruits are destitute of stones, and are only valuable on account of 

 their keeping longer than those of the varieties above named ; 

 the quality is not so good. 



MEDLAR, JAPANESE. See Photinia japonica. 



MEDORA. A synonym of Smilacina (which see). 



MEDULLARY SYSTEM. " The cellular tissue 

 of the ring, disk, and bands, constitutes the Medullary 

 System. The Medullary System of the disk is called the 

 pith, that of the ring is the cortical pith, and the radiating 

 cellular bands are the Medullary Eays " (Hooker). 



MEGACARPJEA (from megas, great, and karpos, a 

 fruit; in allusion to the large pods). OBD. Cruciferce. A 

 genus consisting of only three species of large, robust, 

 branched herbs, with thick perennial roots, natives of 

 Siberia, the Himalayas, and Thibet. Flowers white or 

 violet, racemose or corymbose ; sepals equal at base ; 

 stamens six or many, free, edentulate. Pods large, inde- 

 hiscent, laterally much compressed. Leaves glaucous, 

 pinnatisect. The undermentioned species thrives in light 

 sandy soil, and is increased readily by seeds. M. poly- 

 andra, a Himalayan species, is, perhaps, not now in 

 cultivation. 

 M. laciniata (jagged). /. yellow, small ; stamens six ; valves 



ovate, broadly winged. June and July. /. villous ; radical ones 



stalked, pinnate-parted, with deeply toothed or cut lobes. 



Stems furnished at the neck with the vestiges of the petioles 



of the preceding year. A. 6in. to 12in. Caspian Desert, &c., 



1818. 



MEGACARFHA. A synonym of Oxyanthus 

 (which see). 



MEGACLINIUM (from megas, large, and kline, a 

 bed; referring to the axis or rachis on which the 

 flowers are borne). OBB. Orchidece. A genus com- 

 prising about nine species of stove epiphytal Orchids, 

 natives of tropical and Southern sub-tropical Africa. 

 They are closely allied to Bulbophyllum. The species 

 are more curious than beautiful. The singular flattened 

 scape is a good distinguishing mark of this genus. For 

 culture, see Bulbophyllum. 

 M. bufo (toad), fl. brown, purple, covered with black hairs ; 



sepals acute, upper one smooth, lateral ones downy inside ; petals 



small, acute, glabrous ; lip ovate, fleshy, wrinkled. March to 



June. Sierra Leone, 1839. (G. C. 1841, p. 348.) 



