354 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



I (rusty), fl. brown; corolla oblong-ovate, and 

 adrical ; pedicels bristly-glandular. May. I. ob- 

 iolate-obovate, acutish at both ends, glandular- 



Menziesia continued. 



obovate or elliptical, membranaceous, deciduous, entire, 

 glabrous or pilose beneath. Branches sub-verticillate. 

 The species are very ornamental subjects for rock gardens 

 or borders, in a moist peaty soil. Propagated by care- 

 fully dividing established tufts, by cuttings, or by layers. 

 M. ceernlea. See Phyllodoce taxifolia. 

 M. empetrifolla (Empetrum-leaved). A synonym of Bryanthus 



empetriformis. 

 ML ferruginea (rasty). 



becoming cylind ' ' 



long or lanceol 



mucronate, rusty strigose-hirsute above, paler beneath. 



6in. North America, 1811. 

 M. t globulaiis (globular-flowered), JL pink, drooping ; corolla 



globose, with rounded lobes. May. I. ovate, clustered at the 



ends of the branches, h. 2ft. to 5ft North America, 1806. 



(B. M. 1571, under name of M. ferruginea 0.) 

 M. polifolia (Folium-leaved). A synonym of Dabcecia poUfolia. 



MERCURTATiIS (so named after Mercury, who is 

 supposed to have discovered some virtues in the genus). 

 Mercury. OBD. EuphorbiacecB. A genus comprising 

 half-a-dozen erect herbaceous plants, with small, green. 

 dioecious flowers, and opposite leaves. They are unin- 

 teresting weeds, widely distributed over the temperate 

 regions of the globe, if. perennis, the Dog's Mercury, 

 a native of Europe and North Africa, is a poisonous 

 plant, which turns dull bluish-green when dried; and a 

 deep blue dye, of a fugitive nature, may be obtained 

 from it. 



MERCURY. See Mercurial!*. 



(a name given to ColeJiieum by the 

 Spaniards). OBD. LiUacece. A genus comprising ten 

 species of pretty, hardy, bulbous plants, inhabiting the 

 Mediterranean region, and extending thence to Abyssinia 

 and Afghanistan. They are closely allied to Colchieum, 

 but the flattened portion of each of the six perianth 

 segments is abruptly contracted into a long, narrow claw, 

 and is, at the point of contraction, furnished on each 

 side with a small tooth. For culture, see Colchictun. 

 ML Aitchisonl (Aitchison's). A synonym of M. persiea. 

 ML Bnlbocodium (Bulbocodium).* Jl. one or two; perianth 

 segments rosy-lilac, lanceolate, sub -acute ; stamens much shorter 

 than the perianth ; anthers yellow. Autumn. I. three, emerging 

 after the flowers, at length linear, falcate, channelled, h. Sin. to 

 4in. Pyrenees and the mountains of Spain (Sierra Nevada) in 

 the alpine regions. SYN. Colchicum montanum. 

 ML caucaslca (Caucasian). A. one to three from the same 

 spathe ; perianth segments, with long narrow claws, which meet 

 and form a tube; lamina delicate rose-coloured, tinged with 

 purple. May. J. three, narrow-lanceolate, obtuse, channelled, 

 much-tapering at the base, shorter than the flowers. A. Sin. 

 Caucasus, 1823. (B. M. 3690.) 



M. O. Elchlerl (Eichler-sX This differs from the type in the inner 

 segments being distinctly auriculated at the base. Eastern Cau- 

 casus. (B. G. 952.) 



ML peralca (Persian). /. pale lilac, fragrant, Uin. to 2in. in 

 diameter, funnel-shaped ; keel of perianth segments pale reddish. 

 November. I lin. to 2in. long, Jin. broad, acute, concave, dark 

 green, rather fleshy, lengthening to 6in. or 8in. Conn IJin. long, 

 flagon-shaped, with a long neck; tunic pale chestnut -brown. 

 India, Persia, Ac., 1872. (B. M. 6012, under name of M. Aitchi- 

 toni.) 



MERIAUTA (named in honour of a Dutch lady, 

 Sibylle de Merian, 1647-1717, authoress of " De Meta- 

 morphosibus Insectorum Surinamensinm"). SYN. Davya. 

 OBD. Melastomacece. A genus comprising about twenty- 

 six species of erect, glabrous or pubescent, stove trees 

 or shrubs, natives of tropical America and the West 

 Indies. Flowers yellow or purple, large, disposed in 

 short, cymose, terminal or lateral panicles ; calyx glabrous 

 or powdery, tube shortly campanulate or hemispherical ; 

 stamens ten, equal or nearly so. Leaves often on long 

 petioles, oblong-lanceolate, obtusely acuminate or caudate 

 at apex, three to five-nerved, entire or obtusely toothed. 

 For culture, see Melastoma. 

 ML Karstenli (Karsten's). fl. deep red. Summer. I. lanceolate, 



serrate, long-acuminate. Branches terete, smooth. Caraccas, 



1850. Shrub. (F. d. S. 767.) 



Meriania continued. 



h (rosy).* Jl. varying from white with a crimson base to 

 rose and purple ; calyx lobes subulate ; anther spurs short, alter- 

 nately conical and bi-tubercled. I. elliptical or ovate-lanceolate, 

 the younger ones minutely serrate with glandular teeth. A. 30ft. 

 Indies, 1885. An arbor 



West 



orescent shrub 



MERISTOSTIGMA. A synonym of Lapeyrousia 



(which see). 



MERODON CLAVIFES. See Narcissus Fly. 



MERTENSIA (named in honour of Professor Francis 

 Charles Mortens, 1764-1831, a German botanist). STNS. 

 Casselia, Hippoglossum, Oreocharis, and Steenhammera. 

 OBD. Boraginece. This genus comprises about fifteen 

 species of very handsome, hardy, perennial, glabrous or 

 pilose herbs, natives of Eastern Europe, extra-tropical 

 Asia, and North America. Flowers blue or purplish, 

 pedicellate, ebracteate ; racemes terminal, or cymes 

 loosely branched, few-flowered, unilateral, sometimes 

 paniculate. Leaves alternate, often pellucid-dotted. 

 The species are of very easy culture in ordinary garden 

 soil; they form admirable subjects for mixed borders, 

 copses, and rockwork. Propagated by divisions in autumn ; 

 or by seeds, sown as soon as ripe. 

 ML alpina (alpine).* ft. light blue, disposed in close, or at length 



loose, clusters, of which each stem bears from one to three. 



Spring and summer. I. bluish-green, oblong, somewhat spathu- 



late or lanceolate, rather obtuse. A. 6in. to lOin. Rocky Moun- 



tains, 1875. A lovely little alpine. 

 ML alpina (alpine), of Hooker. A synonym of M. lanceolata. 



FIG. 551. MERTENSIA DAHURICA, showing Habit and 

 detached Flower. 



(Dahurian). fl. bright azure-blue, drooping, in 

 racemose panicles. June. t. ovate, roughish, slightly glaucous, 

 and clothed with small decumbent hairs. Stems erect, branch- 

 ing, angular, furrowed, hairy. A. 6in. to 12in. Dahurica. A 

 pretty species, with a very slender habit, and requiring a shel- 

 tered position. See Fig. 551. (B. M. 1743, under name of 

 Pulmonaria dahurica.) 



M. lanceolata (lanceolate).* fl. drooping ; bracts leafy ; calyx 

 shorter than the corolla tube, flve-cleft to the middle or lower ; 

 segments oblong and obtuse, or lanceolate and acute ; corolla light 

 or dark blue, with a cylindric tube ; limb campanulate, very 

 shortly flve-lobed. May. I. sessile, chiefly cauline, linear-oblong 

 or spathulate, radical often broader, acute or obtuse ; upper sur- 

 face smooth or muricate ; margin ciliate. Stems simple, erect, 

 slender. A. 6in. to 12in. Rocky Mountains, 1874. (B. M. 6178, 

 under name of M. alpina.) 



ML maritima (sea). Oyster Plant, fl. blue, erect, disposed in 

 terminal corymbose racemes. July. I. ovate or oblong, acutish ; 

 the upper ones stem-clasping. Stems procumbent, branched. 

 Northern coast regions of Northern hemisphere (Britain). 

 SYN. Pulmonaria maritima. (Sy. En. B. 1099.) 



M. panlculata (paniculate), fl. purplish-blue ; corolla somewhat 

 funnel-shaped, three or four times the length of the lanceolate- 

 linear acute divisions of the calyx. July. /. ovate and ovate- 

 lanceolate, taper-pointed, ribbed, thin. A. 1ft. to 2ft. North 

 America. Plant erect, roughish, more or less hairy. (B. M. 

 2680 and B. R. 146, under name of Pulmonttria paniculata.) 



ML sibirtca (Siberian).* /. purplish-blue, terminal, pedicellate, 

 disposed in elongated, conjugate racemes, with a flower in the 

 fork. May to July. I. rather fleshy, glabrous ; radical ones cor- 

 date, roundish-obtuse, or broad-elliptic ; cauline ones ovate. 



