362 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



MetternicMa continued. 



M. PrincipiS (Prince Metternich - Winneburg. fl. white, in 

 terminal racemes; corolla funnel-shaped, with a limb of five 

 equal segments. August. I. deep green, h. 3ft. Brazil, 1854. 

 A neat and handsome compact-growing plant (B. M. 4747.) 

 MET7M (from Mean, the old Greek name used by 

 Dioscorides) . Bawd-money. ORD. Umbelliferce. A mono - 

 typic genus, the species being an elegant, hardy, aro- 

 matic, tufted, glabrous, perennial. It thrives in borders, 

 on banks, and in the rock garden, in almost any ordinary 

 soil. Propagated by divisions. 



M. athamanticnm (Athamanta-like).* Spignel. fl. white, in 

 rather large, compound, terminal umbels ; involucre, when pre- 

 sent, of a few linear leaves, often altogether wanting. May. 

 fr. narrow, but not beaked, with the primary ridges winged. 

 I. much divided into numerous thread-like segments. Stems 

 leafy, channelled, slightly branched, h. 1ft. to 2ft. Mountains 

 of Western Europe (Britain). See Fig. 567, page 36L (Sy. 

 En. B. 606.) 



MEXICAN TEA. See Chenopodium ambrosi- 

 oides. 



MEXICAN THISTLE. A common name of Cnicus 

 conspicuus. 



MEXICAN TIGER FLOWER. See Tigridia. 



METENIA (of Nees). Included under Thun- 

 bergia (which see). 



METENIA (of Sohlechtendal). Included under Ces- 

 trum. 



MEZER.EON. See Daphne Mezereum. 



MICE. These animals are at times very trouble- 

 some in gardens, eating bulbs, roots, seeds, and the bark 

 of trees ; and occasionally they destroy numbers of trees 

 by eating through or round the trunks, just below the 

 surface of the ground. There are two kinds especially 

 hurtful in gardens, viz., the Short-tailed Field Mouse, or 

 Vole (Arvicola arvalia), and the Long-tailed Field Mouse 

 (M us sylvaticus). Both are very common, but the former 

 prefers the drier, the latter the damper, places. They 

 are readily distinguished by the tail, which, in the Vole, 

 scarcely reaches one-fourth the length of the body, and 

 is blunt at the tip; while the tail of the other is long, 

 and tapers to the tip. The Vole has also a rounder head, 

 with shorter ears, and its fur has a redder tinge than 

 that of the Long-tailed Mouse. The Voles make runs 

 among the grass of Lawns, &c., but they are not very 

 easily caught. The most effective method of lessening 

 their numbers has been found to be making pitfalls, 

 1ft. at least in depth, 4in. to 6in. wide at the mouth, 

 and considerably wider at the bottom. Into these 

 the Mice fall, and from them they cannot climb out. 

 An inverted flower-pot sunk in the ground is some- 

 times used instead of the pit. Traps of various kinds 

 may also be used, such as the Figure of 4 trap, or 

 wire traps. The same means may be used to capture 

 the other species, and poison may be employed with 

 success where its use would not be dangerous to children 

 or to domestic animals. One of the best poisons for 

 Mice is phosphorus, made up with lard and flour. This 

 may be scattered on the seed beds, or beside bulbs or 

 other things that are endangered by the Mice. Other 

 poisons employed for killing Mice are nux vomica or 

 strychnine, arsenic, and white hellebore ; but these are 

 all dangerous to use for this purpose. Among natural 

 enemies to Mice out of doors, owls, hawks, weasels, 

 and their allies, are very helpful to gardeners, and 

 should be protected by them whenever possible, what- 

 ever gamekeepers' views may be in regard to damage 

 done by them among game. It is said that Mice may 

 be prevented from proving injurious in seed beds by 

 covering the soil, seedlings, and plants, with an inch of 

 fine coal ashes. The mice, it is supposed, will not dig 

 through this substance, which, at the same time, 

 shelters the plants. 



MICHAELMAS DAISY. See Aster. 



MICHAUXIA (named after Andr<5 Michaux, 1746- 

 1802, a French botanist). ORD. Campanulacece. A small 

 genus (four species have been described) of handsome 

 hardy biennial plants, allied to Campanula, but having 

 the recesses or sinuses of the calyx covered, and the 

 leaves lyrate. Corolla rotate, with eight reflexed divi- 

 sions. Leaves irregularly toothed or lobed, cauline few. 

 Michauxias are very effective plants for borders, and 

 thrive in warm, sheltered spots. Increased by sowing 

 seeds, in April, on a warm, sunny border. 

 M. campannloides (Campanula-like), fl. white, tinged with 

 purple on the outside, drooping, scattered along the branches and 

 stem, from the axils of the bracts. Summer. I. strigose, radical 

 ones lanceolate, irregularly lobed; petioles margined and lobed. 

 Stem branched at top. h. 3ft. to 8ft. Levant, 1787. (B. M. 219.) 

 M. Isevlgata (smooth).* fl. scattered along nearly the whole length 

 of the stem, on short peduncles ; calyx segments acute, at first 

 erect, afterwards spreading at right angles ; corolla white, much 

 longer than the calyx, ten-parted ; anthers yellow ; pollen yellow. 

 August. I. sprinkled on both sides with harsh, erect hairs, 

 duplicate-dentate, coarsely-veined and reticulate ; root leaves 

 ovate ; stem ones sessile. Stem lift, high, herbaceous, smooth, 

 shining, upright, straight. North Persia, 1829. The whole plant 

 yields, on the slightest injury, a quantity of milky juice. (B. M. 



MICHELIA (named after Pietro Antonio Michele, 

 1679-1737, a celebrated Florentine botanist). ORD. Magno- 

 liaceae. A genus comprising twelve species of stove 

 evergreen trees, closely allied to Magnolia, natives of 

 India and the islands of the Eastern Archipelago. 

 Flowers axillary, solitary, or in one species terminal, 

 usually smaller than in Magnolia. Michelias thrive in 

 a compost of sandy loam and leaf mould. Propagated, 

 in summer, by cuttings of half-ripened shoots, placed in 

 sand, under a glass, in heat. 



M. Champaca (Champaca). fl. yellow, large, not unlike a double 

 Narcissus, sweet-scented throughout the day, but becoming 

 rather foetid at night ; peduncles short, axillary, one-flowered ; 

 produced throughout the year. I. ovate-oblong, acuminated, 

 acute at the base, with the ribs beneath, as well as the peduncles 

 and spathes, silky. A. 30ft. to 40ft. India and Java, 1779. 

 M. lanuginosa (woolly). /. pale yellow. Spring. I. drooping, 

 elliptic-lanceolate, acuminate, bright green above, paler beneath. 

 Himalayas, 1865. (B. M. 6179.) 



MICONIA (named after D. Micon, a Spanish botanist). 

 Including Chitonia (of Don), Diplochita, and Tamonea. 

 (of Aublet). ORD. Melastomacece. A vast genus (about 

 300 species) of stove, polymorphous shrubs and trees, 

 natives of tropical America and Asia. Flowers white, pink, 

 red, purple, or yellow, in terminal or rarely lateral, corym- 

 bose panicles, pedicellate or sessile ; calyx glabrous, fur- 

 furaceous, tomentose, or rarely setose ; tube often adherent 

 with the ovary ; petals four to eight, obovate or oblong, 

 spreading or reflexed. Berry two or many-seeded. Leaves 

 frequently petiolate, entire, denticulate, or serrulate. A 

 few of the species are cultivated for the sake of their 

 foliage, those described below being the best known. For 

 culture, .-' Melastoma. 



ja. nammtut. (flame-coloured).* I. very large, glossy, but rugose 

 from the sunken veins, thin-ribbed, elliptic, acuminate, with the 

 blade partially decurrent on the petiole. Stem erect, clothed 

 with close rusty hairs. A handsome foliage plant. 

 M. Hookeriana (Hooker's).* I. deep olive-green, with broail 

 silvery midrib, elliptic, rugose. A fine ornamental-leaved shrub. 

 Peru. (B. M. 5411, under name of M. pulverulenta.) 

 M. H. trifasolata (three-banded), fl. white, small, in terminal 

 panicles. I. elliptic, acute, with the three ribs silvery. Branches, 

 leaves, and panicles velvety-tomentose. Eastern Peru. 

 M. pulverulenta (powdery). A synonym of M. Hookeriana. 

 M. Teysmannlana (Teysmann's). I. elliptic-ovate, five-nerved, 

 metallic green. Malayan Archipelago, 1867. (B. G. 537.) 



MICRANDRA. A synonym of Hevea (which see). 



MICRANTHELLA. Included under Fleroma 

 (which see). 



MICROCACHRTS (from mikros, small, and kachry*. 

 a cone ; referring to the very sjnall cones). ORD. Coni- 

 feroe. A monotypic genus. The species is a prostrate, 

 much-branched, greenhouse evergreen shrub, confined to 

 the mountains of Tasmania. For culture, see Daory- 

 dium. 



