AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



343 



Megaclinium continued. 



M. falcatum (falcate), fl. yellow, red; upper segments of 

 periantli obtuse, callous on both sides at apex ; outer lateral ones 

 reflexecl, bidentate; inner ones or petals smaller, subulate, obtuse. 

 I. oval, einarginate, biplicate. Pseudo-bulbs tufted, rather 

 tetragonal, two-leaved. Sierra Leone, 1822. (B. R. 989.) 



M. maximum (largest), jl. yellow, spotted blood-colour, sessile, 

 appearing like little tadpoles, borne in a line on the middle, on 

 each side of the broad, flat, sword-shaped, green rachis (scape), 

 which arises from the base of the pseudo-bulbs, and is longer 

 than the leaves. June and July. I. two or three, ligulate. 

 Pseudo-bulbs oblong, angled. Sierra Leone. (B. M. 4028 ; B. R. 

 1959.) 



M. purpuratum (purple), fl. yellowish, speckled and streaked 

 with purple ; rachis 4in. to 6in. long, lin. broad, pale yellow- 

 green, sprinkled with red-purple. I. linear-oblong, in pairs at the 

 top of the pseudo-bulb, obtuse, keeled. Western tropical Africa, 

 1871. (B. M. 5936.) 



MEGARRHIZA (from megas, large, and rhiza, 

 root; alluding to the large tuberous rootstock). ORD. 

 Cucurbitacece. A curious and interesting, rather than 

 handsome, hardy tuberous perennial, now included 

 under Echinocystis. The plant thrives in a good light 

 soil. Propagated by sowing seeds, in a gentle heat, 

 in spring. This species is peculiar in the thick fleshy 

 cotyledons of the large, turgid, emarginate seeds re- 

 maining under the ground in germination. 



most linear, or very rarely broad, 

 1803. A glabrous shrub. (B. M. 



. diosmifolia 



oblong, glabrous. 



FIG. 532. MEGARRHIZA CALIFORNICA, showing Flowering Stem with the 

 Racemose Male Flowers and the Solitary Fertile Ones from the same 

 Axils ; detached Fruit ; and Section of Seed. 



M. californica (Californian). fl., males small, racemose ; females 

 solitary, produced on stalks at the base of the raceme of the 

 males. Jr. roundish or oblong, about 2in. in length, densely 

 covered with spines, and very closely resembling a sweet 

 chestnut. 1. glossy, silvery, palmately lobed. California, 1880. 



MEGASEA. Included under Saxifraga (which see). 



MEIRACYLIUM (from meirakylUon, a small boy; 

 probably in reference to the size of the plants). ORD. 

 Orchidece. A small genus of stove epiphytal Orchids, 

 natives of Mexico and Central America. Flowers small, 

 pedicellate ; peduncles one or two-flowered ; sepals 

 erecto-patent, sub-equal ; petals similar ; lip continuous 

 with the base of the short, thickish column. Leaves 

 short, broad, sessile, thickly fleshy. The undermentioned 

 species is a very pretty and interesting little orchid. 

 It should be grown on a block of wood. For general 

 culture, see Pleurothallis. 



M. gemma (gemX 



pedicellate. I. ses 



jl. amethyst-coloured, solitary, few, shortly 

 ih 1 , broad-cordate. Stems very short, from a 

 Mexico. 



creeping rhizome. 



MELALEUCA (from melas, black, and leulcos, white ; 

 the trunk is black, and the branches are white). ORD. 

 Myrtacece. A genus comprising about 100 species of 



Melaleuca continued. 



mostly greenhouse evergreen shrubs or trees, all natives 

 of Australia, but one, M. leucadendron, also widely dis- 

 tributed throughout tropical Asia. Flowers red, white, 

 or yellow, closely sessile and solitary within each bract 

 or floral leaf, in heads or spikes, or rarely solitary and 

 scattered ; calyx lobes five, imbricated or open ; petals 

 five, orbicular, spreading. Leaves alternate, or in a few 

 species opposite, entire, usually coriaceous, flat, concave, 

 or semi-terete. The species thrive in a compost of peat 

 and sandy loam. Propagated, in May, by cuttings, about 

 Sin. in length, getting firm at the base, placed in a 

 compost similar to that just named. The shoots must 

 be freely topped while young, to induce a bushy growth. 

 M. armillaris (bracelet). /. white ; spikes cylindrical, quite 

 glabrous. June. I. alternate, linear-subulate, mucronate, re- 

 curved at the apex. h. 6ft. to 8ft. 1788. Shrub. (A. B. R. 175, 

 under name of M. ericcefolia.) 



M. coronata (crowned). A synonym of M. thymifolia. 

 M. decussata (decussate), fl. lilac, rather small, either in oblong 

 or globular lateral heads and spikes and barren, or in oblong or 

 cylindrical interrupted spikes and fertile. August. I. mostly 

 opposite, oblong-lanceolate to al 

 obtuse or acute. A. 20ft. 

 2268 ; L. B. C. 1208.) 



M. diosmifolia (Diosma-leaved). fl. greenish-yellow; spikes 

 June. I. alternate, oval or lanceolate, petio. 

 late, flat, crowded. A. 3ft. to 10ft. 1794. Shrub. 

 (A. B. R. 476.) 

 M. ericsefolia (Erica-leaved), of Andrews. A 



synonym of M. armillaris. 



M. ericifolia (Erica-leaved), fl. pale yellow; 

 spikes oval, glabrous. July to September. I. 

 scattered, narrow-linear, spreading or somewhat 

 recurved. 1788. Shrub or tree. (S. E. B. 34.) 

 M. Fraseri (Eraser's). A synonym of M. striata. 

 M. fulgens (glittering), fl. scarlet, as long as, or 

 longer than, those of other species ; spikes oval, 

 quite glabrous. July to September. I. opposite, 

 lanceolate-linear, acute. A. 6ft. to 20ft. 1803. 

 Shrub. (B. R. 103 ; L. B. C. 378.) 

 M. genistifolia (Genista-leaved), fl. red, in 

 loose oblong or cylindrical spikes ; petals very 

 deciduous. June. I. scattered, lanceolate or 

 linear-lanceolate, rigid, acute, and often pungent- 

 pointed, h. 4ft. (in its native habitats, 30ft. to 

 40ft.). 1793. A glabrous or pubescent shrub or 

 tree. (S. E. B. 55.) 



M. hypericifolia (Hypericum-leaved). fl. of a 

 splendid scarlet ; spikes cylindrical, quite glabrous. 

 June to August. I. opposite, decussate, elliptic- 

 oblong, with a recurved margin. A. 10ft. to 20ft. 

 1792. Shrub or small tree. (A. B. R. 200 ; L. B. C. 

 199.) 



Iff. incana (hoary), fl. yellowish-white, rather 

 small, in dense, terminal, ovoid or oblong spikes. 

 July. I. scattered or irregularly opposite, or in 

 whorls of three, very spreading, often crowded. 

 A. 3ft. 1817. A hoary-tomentose or pubescent 

 shrub. (B. R. 410.) 



M. leucadendron (white-tree). Cajuput-tree. fl. white, in 

 spikes, rather distant, glabrous ; flowering branches pendulous. 

 I. alternate, long-lanceolate, acuminated, falcate. A. 15ft. to 

 20ft. 1796. Stove tree. From the leaves of M. I. minor is ob- 

 tained Cajuput Oil, a limpid, very volatile oil, of a pale bluish- 

 green colour ; its properties are stimulant, antispasmodic, and 

 diaphoretic when administered internally, and externally applied 

 it is rubefacient. The annually shed bark of the type is used by 

 the Australian aborigines for tinder, for making shields and 

 canoes, and for the covering of huts. 



Wt. pulchella (neat), fl. reddish, usually solitary, glabrous. 

 June to September. I. sc 

 oblong, obtuse. 



M. squamca (scaly), fl. reddish-purple, white, or yellowish, 

 rather small, in globular terminal heads ; calyx villous. June. 

 I. scattered, numerous, usually spreading, ovate-lanceolate to 

 almost linear. A. 4ft. 1805. Shrub. See Fig. 533. (B. R. 477 ; 

 L. B. C. 412.) 



M. squarrosa (squarrose). fl. yellowish-white, sessile, in oblong 

 cylindrical spikes of from lin. to 2in. ; bracts sometimes almost 

 like the stem leaves. June to August. I. mostly opposite or 

 nearly so, from broadly ovate-cordate to ovate-lanceolate, rigid, 

 acute, almost pungent, h. 6ft. to 10ft. 1794. A handsome erect 

 shrub. (B. M. 1935 ; L. B. C. 1130.) 



M. striata (striped). A. pink, in dense, oblong or cylindrical, ter- 

 minal spikes. June. I. alternate, lanceolate or linear, acute, 

 and often pungent-pointed, flat. A. 4ft. 1803. Shrub, with 

 young shoots silky, at length glabrous. SYN. M. Fraseri (under 

 which name it is figured in B. M. 3210). 



, 



scattered or nearly opposite, oval or 

 A. 2ft. to 3ft. 1803. Shrub. (L. B. C. 200.) 



