352 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Meniscium continued. 



in a loamy soil, and should always be kept moist at 



the roots, without stagnation. For general culture, 



see Ferns. 



H. angustifolium (narrow-fronded). sti. sub-tufted, 6in. to 18in. 

 long, firm, erect, slightly pubescent, fronds lift, to 2ft. lonj,', 1ft. 

 broad; pinnae spreading, 4in. to 6in. long, iin. to |in. broad, 

 gradually narrowed to a long acuminate point, the edge sub- 

 entire, the base cuneate, the lower ones often stalked ; fertile 

 pinnae much narrower than the barren ones ; rachis pubescent. 

 areolce four to six between the midrib and edge. West Indies to 

 Peru. 



M. glganteum (gigantic), sti. 1ft. long, dark brown, slightly 

 pubescent, fronds simple, lift, to 2ft. long, 4in. broad, elongate- 

 oblong, narrowed rather suddenly at both ends, the edge slightly 

 repand. areolce thirty to forty between the midrib and edge. 

 Peru. A rare species in cultivation. 



M. palnstre (marsh). A synonym of M. serratum. 



M. retlculatnm (netted), sti. tufted, 1ft. to 3ft. long, stout. 

 fronds pinnate, 2ft. to 4ft. long, 1ft. or more broad ; pinnae 6in. to 

 12in. long, Iin. to 4in. broad, the apex acuminate, the edge entire 

 or sub-repand, the base rounded or cuneate. areolce eight to 

 twelve between the midrib and edge. Mexico to Peru, 1793. 



M. serratnm (serrated), sti. 1ft. to 3ft. long, stout, fronds 

 pinnate, 3ft. to 4ft. or more long, 1ft. or more broad ; pinnae Iin. 

 to Sin. apart, 6in. to 12in. long, iin. to 2in. broad, oblong-lanceo- 

 late, the base cordate or cuneate, the apex acuminate, the edge 

 finely toothed, areolce twelve to twenty between the midrib and 

 edge. Mexico to Peru. SYN. M. palustre. 



FIG. 548. MENISCIUM SIMPLEX. 



M. simplex (simple), rhiz. firm, wide-creeping. sti. stra- 

 mineous, of the barren fronds 4in. to 6in., of the fertile 1ft. or 

 more, long, fronds simple ; barren ones 6in. to 9in. long, 2in. to 

 3in. broad, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, the base cordate, and 

 sometimes auricled, the edge crenate ; fertile ones similar but 

 smaller, areolce eight to twelve between the midrib and edge. 

 Chusan, Hong Kong, &c., 1850. See Fig. 548. 



M. Thwaltesli (Thwaites'). rhiz. firm, wide-creeping, sti. 9in. 

 to 12in. long, sub-stramineous, nearly naked, fronds Bin. to lOin. 

 long, 4in. to 5in. broad, sub-deltoid ; the apex acuminate, crenato- 

 pinnatifid; below this several blunt, linear-oblong, sub-entire 

 pinnae, lowest largest, distinctly stalked, 2in. to 3m. long, Jin. 

 broad, edge bluntly (not deeply) lobed ; base narrowed suddenly. 

 areolce and sori four or five in the lower pinnae between the mid- 

 rib and edge. Ceylon. 



M. triphyllum (three-leaved), rhiz. firm, wide-creeping, sti. 

 slender, sub-stramineous, of the barren fronds 4in. to 6m., of the 

 fertile fronds 1ft. or more, long, fronds with an oblong-lanceolate 

 terminal pinna, 4in. to 6in. long, Iin. to IJin. broad, the base 

 cuneate or rounded, the edge repand, and one or two similar 

 but smaller ones on each side, the fertile ones smaller than the 

 barren ones, areolce six to nine between the midrib and edge. 

 Himalayas, &c., 1828. 



MENISPEBMACE^E. An order of trailing (rarely 

 erect) shrubs, broadly dispersed through most tropical 

 regions. It belongs to Lindley's menispermal alliance of 

 diclinous exogens. Flowers dioecious, small, in a panicle, 



Menispermaceae continued. 



raceme, or cyme, rarely solitary, sometimes accompanied 

 by cordate bracts. Leaves alternate, exstipulate, usually 

 palminerved, entire or palmilobed or peltate, rarely com- 

 pound (as in Burasaia) ; petiole spuriously jointed at the 

 base, and sometimes at the top. The bark of several 

 species of this family is extremely bitter; some yield a 

 yellow dye. Beer is sometimes adulterated in England 

 with Cocculus indicus. There are about thirty-one genera 

 and 300 species. Examples are : Cissampelos, Cocculus, 

 and Menispermum. 



MENISPERMUM (from mene, the moon, and 

 sperma, a seed; in allusion to the shape of the seed). 

 Moon Seed. OED. Menispermaceae. A. genus comprising 

 only two species of climbing deciduous shrubs, one of 

 which is North American, and the other an inhabitant 

 of Eastern Asia. Flowers greenish-white, small, panicu- 

 late. Drupe compressed. Leaves often sub-peltate, pal- 

 mately lobed or angular. The under-mentioned species 

 is a very handsome plant for damp and shady walls. 

 Propagated by divisions of the root, or by cuttings, in 

 spring. 

 M. eanadense (Canadian), ft. yellowish, borne in profusion on 



long pendulous racemes. Summer. I. large, handsome, reni- 



form, peltate. North America, 1691. (B. M. 1910.) 



(the old Latin name, borrowed from the 

 Greek name Minthe). Mint. STNS. Audibertia and 

 Pulegium. OBD. Labiates. "... A natural genus, not 

 numerous in species, but widely diffused over the greater 

 part of the globe without the tropics, and most of the 

 species, from the variety of situations to which they 

 will adapt themselves, vary so much as to render their 

 exact definition almost hopeless. Many of them also pro- 

 pagate so readily from suckers that individual specimens 

 are perpetuated so as to assume the appearance of species. 

 Almost all the species vary in the stamens " (Bentham). 

 Whorls usually many-flowered, sometimes all remote in 

 the axils of the leaves, sometimes approximate into ter- 

 minal spikes, with the superior floral leaves bract-formed. 

 Only a few of the species are worthy of cultivation. The 

 dwarf evergreen kinds are readily increased by division 

 of the plants in autumn and winter. For culture and 

 uses of Spearmint and Peppermint, see Hint. 



M. Oitrata (Citron-scented). Bergamot Mint. fl. reddish-purple, 

 in round terminal heads. Summer. I. petiolate, ovate, broadly 

 rounded at the base, or sub-cordate, glabrous, h. 1ft. Europe 

 (Britain). SYN. M. odorata. (Sy. En. B. 1029.) 



M. odorata (odorous). A synonym of M. eitrata. 



M. piperita (pepper). Peppermint, fl. purple; spikes loose, 

 obtuse, short, interrupted at the base. Autumn. I. petiolate, 

 ovate-oblong, acute, serrated, roundly crenated at the base, 

 glabrous. Stem branched, reddish, h. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe 

 (Britain). (B. M. PI. 203.) 



M. Pulegium (Pulegium). Pennyroyal, fl. pale purple ; whorls 

 all remote, globose, many-flowered. Autumn. I. petiolate, ovate. 

 Stem much-branched, prostrate. Europe (Britain), North and 

 West Asia, North Africa. (B. M. PI. 201.) See Pennyroyal. 

 The variety known as M. P. gibraltarica is largely employed in 

 geometrical gardening. It has a dwarf, compact growth, and 

 deep green foliage. 



M. Requieni(Requien's). fl. pale purple, in loose, few-flowered 

 whorls. Summer. I. petiolate, small, stalked, orbicular. Stems 

 spreading at the base, much branched ; branches filiform, ascend- 

 ing. Corsica, 1829. A pretty and minute creeping herb. 



M. rotnndifolla (round-leaved), fl. whitish, in dense, conically 

 cylindrical spikes. Autumn. I. sessile, ovate-roundish, crenated, 

 wrinkled, pubescently-hairy above, woolly beneath. Stem erect, 

 panicled by a few branches at top. h. 1ft. to 2ft. Europe 

 (Britain), North and West Asia, North Africa. (Sy. En. B. 

 1020.) 



M. r. variegata (variegated). This variety is far more useful 

 for horticultural purposes than the type. Its leaves are wrinkled 

 on the upper surface, covered with a cobweb-like down under- 

 neath, and elegantly variegated with green and light yellow, 

 which ultimately becomes darker. 



M. yiridis (green). Common Green Mint or Spearmint, fl. pur- 

 plish ; spikes cylindrical, loose ; whorls approximate, or the 

 lower ones or all distant. August. I. nearly sessile, ovate-lan- 

 ceolate, unequally serrated, glabrous. Stem erect. A. 2ft. 

 Europe (Britain). (B. M. PL 202.) 



