AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



353 



(named after Christian Mentzel, 1622- 

 1701, a German botanist). Including Eucnide and Micro- 

 sperma. ORD. Loaseoe. A genus of half-hardy, annual, 

 biennial, or perennial, herbaceous plants, found chiefly 

 in Mexico, California, and the Southern United States. 

 Flowers orange or white, solitary, racemose or cymose, 

 opening only during sunshine. Leaves alternate or 

 nearly opposite, coarsely toothed. For culture, &c., see 

 Bartonia (which genus is now generally included under 

 the present one). 



Mentzelia continued. 



M. laavicaulis (smooth-stemmed), fl. bright yellow, from 2iin. to 

 3in. across, expanding only in the morning, and closing after 

 noon. Summer, h. 2ft. California. Biennial. 

 M. oligosperma (few-seeded). /. yellow; petals acuminate; 

 peduncles axillary, solitary. May and June. Jr. reflexed. Ster 

 . 2ft. Louisfan -*~ - 



branched, h. 



Louisiana, 1812. Perennial. (B. M. 1760.) 



FIG. 550. UPPER PORTION OF PLANT OP 

 MENTZELIA ORNATA. 



M. ornata (adorned).* fl. white, large, odori- 

 ferous, expanding after sunset, and remaining 

 closed up the whole of the day. July to 

 September. Ovary leafy; seeds naked. I. 

 hispid, glandular, laciniate. h. 2ft. Missouri, 

 1811. Annual. See Fig. 550. (B. M. 1487, under 

 name of Bartonia decapetala.) 



MENYANTHES (ancient name, from 

 men, a month, and anthos, a flower ; in 

 allusion to the duration of the flower). 

 Buckbean. ORD. Gentianece. A genus 

 (two species) of very ornamental hardy 

 perennial aquatics, natives of Arctic 

 Europe, North Asia, North-west India, 

 and North America. Flowers white or 

 bluish, at the tops of the scapes, or in 

 long, terminal, leafless, shortly racemose 

 peduncles; corolla shortly funnel-shaped. 

 Leaves alternate at base of stem, either 

 trifoliolate or reniform, on long petioles, 

 with scarious sheathing bases. Eootstocks 

 long, thickish, creeping. The species are 

 easily established, in shallow water or 

 boggy situations, by divisions of the roots. 

 H. Crlsta-galli (cock's-comb). fl. in a simple 

 or forked cyme ; corolla white ; tube not longer 

 than the calyx ; lobes naked, but with a medial 

 crust. Spring. I. reniform, and sometimes 

 emarginate, crenate, 2in. to 4in. wide ; petioles 

 and scape at length slender, and 1ft. to 2ft. 

 high. North America. SYN. Villarsia Crista- 

 galli. 



M. trlfoliata (three-leaved). Bogbean ; com- 

 mon Buckbean; Marsh Trefoil, fl. white 

 inside and reddish outside ; anthers purplish, 

 with the tips curved inwards ; peduncles axil- 

 lary. Spring. 1. trifoliolate ; leaflets ovate, 

 obtuse. Stem procumbent, and covered by 

 the sheaths of the leaves. Northern hemi- 

 FIG. 549. PORTION OF PLANT OF MENTZELIA BARTONIOIDES. sphere (Britain). (Sy. En. B. 920.) 



MENZIESIA (named after Archibald Menzies, 1754- 

 1842, surgeon and naturalist to the expedition under 

 Vancouver). ORD. Ericacece. A genus comprising seven 

 species of hardy, Heath-like shrubs, natives of North 

 America and Japan. Flowers white, greenish, or purple, 

 in terminal corymbose fascicles, nodding or drooping ; 

 corolla cylindric-globose, urceolate or campanulate, ob- 

 tusely four or five-lobed. Leaves alternate, petiolate, 



2 z 



M. bartonioides (Bartonia-like).* fl. solitary, terminal ; petals 

 sulphur-yellow, paler, almost white beneath, ovate or rather ob- 

 ovate, slightly serrated, on long pedicels. Summer. I. ovate, acute, 

 lobed and serrated. Stems about 1ft. long, flexuose, succulent, 

 sub-translucent. Western United States, 1849. Annual. See Fig. 

 549 SYNS. Eucnide bartonioides and Microsperma bartonioides 

 (B. M. 4491). 



M. hispida (hairy), fl. yellow ; petals obovate, mucronately acu- 

 minate, longer than the calyx ; stamens numerous. June and July. 

 J. nearly sessile, h. lift. Mexico, 1820. Perennial. (B. M. 3205.) 



