AN ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



347 



Melichrus continued. 



M. medius (intermediate). A synonym of M. ureeolatus. 

 M. rotatus (wheel-shaped). fl. scarlet ; corolla rotate. June. 

 /. lanceolate-linear, pilose on both surfaces and on the margins. 

 1824. Procumbent shrub. 



M. ureeolatus (urceolate). fl. scarlet ; corolla urceolate. April. 

 I. lanceolate, attenuated, very acute, mucronate, concave, with 

 membranous, denticulated edges, h. 2ft. 1824. Erect shrub. 

 SYN. if. medius. 



MELICOCCA (from meli, honey, and kokkos, a berry ; 

 the taste of the fruit is very sweet). OBD. Sapindacece. 

 A genus comprising two or three species of stove trees, 

 generally very glabrous, natives of the West Indies, 

 Brazil, and Venezuela. Flowers regular, polygamo- 

 dicecious; racemes elongated, simple or panicnlately 

 branched, many-flowered. Drupe ovoid, edible. Leaves 

 alternate, exstipulate, abruptly pinnate; leaflets two or 

 three-jugate, almost opposite, sessile, membranaceous. 

 The species thrive in a compost of loam and peat. Pro- 

 pagated by ripened cuttings, placed in sand, under a bell 

 glass, in heat. 



M. bijuga (two-paired). Honey Berry, fl,. yellow ; racemes ter- 

 minal and axillary, simple, spike-formed, fr. as large as a 

 bullace, jet-black, with a very sweet, pleasant taste. I. with two 

 pairs of leaflets, h. 40ft. to 50ft. West Indies, &c., 1778. 



MELICOFE (from meli, honey, and kope, a division ; 

 in allusion to the four honey-glands at the base of the 

 ovaries). ORD. Rutacece. A genus consisting of about 

 fifteen species of gland-dotted, glabrous, greenhouse 

 shrubs, natives of New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. 

 Flowers white, rather small; cymes axillary, three- 

 flowered, or paniculately branched and many-flowered. 

 Leaves opposite (rarely alternate), simple or one to three- 

 foliolate, very rarely pinnate ; petioles simple or winged ; 

 leaflets entire or crenate. The species described below 

 is the only one known to cultivation. It thrives in a 

 compost of sandy loam, with a little peat and leaf mould. 

 Propagated, in May, by cuttings of small side shoots, 

 inserted in sand, under a bell glass. 

 M. ternata (three-leafleted). ft. greenish-white, in peduncled, 



trichotomous, axillary cymes. June. I. opposite, trifoliolate; 



leaflets Jin. to 4in. long, ovate or linear-oblong, acute, entire, 



longer than the petioles, h. 12ft. to 15ft. New Zealand, 1822. 



MELILOT. See Melilotus. 



MELILOTUS (old Greek name used by Dioscorides, 

 from meli, honey, and Lotus ; the plants are said to be the 

 favourite resort of bees). Melilot. OBD. Leguminosce. A 

 genus comprising about forty species of hardy herbaceous 

 plants, of no horticultural value, allied to Trifolium. 

 Flowers yellow or white, disposed in loose racemes. Leaves 

 trifoliolate ; leaflets usually toothed. The genus is repre- 

 sented in the British Flora by three species, one or more 

 often being cultivated as "Bee Plants." 



MELISSA (from melissa, a bee ; bees are said to 

 gather honey from these plants). Balm. OBD. Labiates. 

 A genus containing three or four species of hardy her- 

 baceous perennials, or very rarely under-shrubs, natives 

 of Central and Western Asia. Flowers white or yellowish, 

 variously disposed, racemose or whorled. For culture, 

 see Balm. 



M. offlcinalis (officinal). Common Balm. fl. white or pale yellow ; 

 cymes distinct, three to six-flowered ; whorls distant. June to 

 October. I. broad-ovate, crenated, truncate at the base, or 

 cordate. Stem herbaceous, erect, branched, h. 2ft. to 4ft. 

 Central and South Europe (Britain), naturalised in West Asia. 

 (Sy. En. B. 1053.) A variegated form is sometimes seen in culti- 

 vation, and forms a very pretty edging plant in almost any soil ; 

 it is, moreover, very fragrant. 



MELITTIS (from melitta, another form of the Greek 

 melissa, a bee, to which insect the plant was considered 

 specially grateful). Bastard Balm. OED. Labiates. A 

 monotypic genus, the . species being a very handsome, 

 hardy, native perennial. It thrives almost anywhere, and 

 in any soil ; but, in a slightly-shaded spot, and in well- 

 enriched loam, the result will amply repay the trouble 

 taken. The plant is most distinct in character, and should 

 be grown extensively on the margins of shrubberies, and in 



Melittis continued. 

 herbaceous borders generally. 

 plants after flowering. 



Propagated by dividing the 



FIG. 538. MELITTIS MELISSOPHYLLUM. 



M. Melissophyllum (Balm-leaved).* fl. cream-white, spotted pinfc 



or purple ; corolla liin. to 2in. long ; whorls about six-flowered, 



axillary. May. 1. on short petioles, liin. to 2in. long, ovate, 



crenated, cordate at the base, opposite, slightly hairy. Stems 



erect, simple, more or less hairy, h. 1ft. to lift. Europe (Britain). 



See Fig. 538. (Sy. En. B. 1062.) The variety known as grandiflora 



differs in having the corolla cream-coloured, with the middle of 



the lower lip purplish-red. (Sy. En. B. 1063.) 



MELLEOT7S. Having the taste or smell of honey. 



MELLIFEROUS. Honey-bearing. 



MELOCACTUS (from Melon, a Melon, and Kaktos, 



a name applied by Theophrastus to a spiny plant ; the 



species of this genus are melon-formed, and their angles 



are beset with tufts of spines). Melon Thistle. OBD. 



Cacteas. A genus comprising about thirty species of stove 



succulent plants, inhabiting Mexico, Brazil, and the West 



Indies, a few being found in New Granada. Melo- 



cactnses are not often seen in cultivation, and are more 



FIG. 539. MELOCACTUS COMMUNIS. 



grotesque than beautiful. They closely resemble each 

 other in general characters, which are "a globular, un- 

 branched, fleshy stem, 1ft. to 3ft. in diameter, regularly 

 ribbed from base to summit, the ridges bearing a vary- 

 ing number of clusters of spines, and a cylindrical por- 

 tion, termed the cap, produced from the apex of the 

 stem, formed of a woolly substance, and closely-set, softer 

 spines than those on the main stem. Upon this the 



