384 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Morinda continued. 



two to five flowers. April, fr. orange-coloured. I. lanceolate 

 or elliptic, entire, shortly acuminated, sometimes undulated, 

 with or without foveolated blotches in the axils of the nerves. 

 Australia, 1833. A variable shrub. (B. M. 3351.) 

 M. tinctoria (dyer's), fl. pure white, with a Jasmine-like 

 fragrance, in oval heads ; peduncles opposite the leaves, solitary, 

 much longer than the petioles. June. //-. green, like that of 

 M. citrifolia. I. oblong, almost sessile, smooth, but not shining, 

 from 6in. to lOin. long. India, Malay Archipelago, &c., 1826. 

 The bark of the root of this species is used to dye red. Tree. 



MORJNGA (from Muringo, the Malabar name of 

 M. pterygosperma). STNS. Anoma, Hyperanthera. ORD. 

 Moringece. This genus is the only one of the order 

 (which see for characters). The species thrive in a 

 sandy loam, with the addition of a little peat and 

 leaf mould. Propagated, in May, by cuttings of half- 

 ripened shoots, inserted in sand, under a bell glass, 

 in heat. 



FIG. 593. PORTION OF INFLORESCENCE OF MORINGA APTERA. 



M. aptera (wingless), fl. pale yellow, in axillary panicles, 

 9m. to 12in long Capsules about 1ft. long. 1. 1ft. or 

 more in length, with or without a few scattered obovate or 

 oblanceolate leaflets Jin. to Jin. long. A. 15ft. to 20ft. Nile 

 Land, Upper Egypt, Syria, and Arabia. An oil is expressed from 

 ine seeds, and is largely employed in the manufacture of 



MORING-EJE. This order contains but a solitary 

 genus Moringa. Unarmed trees, inhabiting tropical 

 Asia, Northern Africa, and the West Indies. Flowers 

 irregular, in axillary panicles ; calyx five-partite, with 

 oblong sub-equal segments, imbricate in bud ; petals five, 

 inserted on the calyx, linear - oblong, the two posterior 

 rather the! longest, ascending, imbricate in bud. Leaves 

 two or three, impari - pinnate ; leaflets very caducous ; 

 stipules deciduous. There are only three species. 



MORJSONIA (named after Eobert Morison, 1628- 

 1683, born at Aberdeen, at one time Director of the 

 Eoyal Botanic Garden at Blois, and afterwards Professor 

 of Botany at Oxford). ORD. Capparidece. A small genus 

 (four species) of stove unarmed trees, natives of the 

 West Indies and tropical South America. Flowers large 

 or small; corymbs axillary and terminal, many-flowered. 

 Berry globose. Leaves petiolate, simple, coriaceous, 

 shining, glabrous, tomentose, or scaly. M. americana 

 probably the only species in cultivation thrives in a 

 compost of loam, peat, and sand. Propagated, in spring, 

 by cuttings of the ripened shoots, inserted in sandy soil, 

 under a glass, in bottom heat. 



M. americana (American). /. white, somewhat tufted ; corymbs 

 shortly-stalked, few-flowered. Berry l^in. to 2in. in diameter. 

 I. oblong, 4in. to 6in. long, glabrous, stalked, alternate, simple, 

 bluntish ; petiole thickish, often lin. long. Branches and inflo- 

 rescence leprous, h. 15ft. West Indies, 1824. 



MORMODES (from mormo, a goblin; referring to 

 the strange appearance of the flowers). ORD. OrchidecB. 

 A genus comprising about fourteen species of stove 

 orchids, inhabiting Columbia and Central America, as far 

 as Mexico. They are allied to Catasetiim, but are dis- 

 tinguished by the want of cirrhi upon the column, the 

 lip being membranous, turned upwards, and often some- 

 what saddle-shaped ; and the pollen-masses being four in 

 number, connate in pairs, fixed to a thick caudicle, which 

 adheres to a fleshy gland. Leaves elongate, plicate, 

 veined. The species are more curious than ornamental. 

 For culture, see Catasetum. 



M. atropurpureum (dark purple).* fl. dark purple-brown, or 

 between chocolate and blood-colour ; sepals and petals ovate- 

 lanceolate ; lip porrected, velvety, with short hairs, tapering below 

 into a stipes. October, h. 1ft. Panama, 1834. (B. M. 4577 ; 

 B. B. 186l!) 



M. buccinator (trumpeter).* fl. pale reddish-brown, everywhere 

 sprinkled with dark-coloured dots ; sepal and petals oblong- 

 acute, with margins singularly recurved ; lip large, fleshy, with 

 revolute side, almost like the flaps of a saddle ; column shorter 

 than the lip. April. I. 9in. long, lanceolate, membranous, 

 striated, h. 1ft. to IJft. Central America. (B. M. 4455, under 

 name of M. lentif/inosum.) 



M. Carton! (Carton's), fl. numerous, in a rather long oblong 

 spike ; sepals and petals yellow, streaked longitudinally with 

 red, similar in shape and size, much spreading, almost reflexed ; 

 lip equal to the petals, but twisted, also pale yellow, with a 

 few interrupted streaks ; columns slightly oblique. July. I. three 

 or four, 1ft. or more long. h. 1ft. Santa Martha. (B. M. 4214.) 

 M. colossus (colossal). JL from 5in. to 6in. across ; sepals and 

 petals narrow-lanceolate, spreading or reflexed, pink at the base, 

 passing into yellow at the tips ; lip ovate, bright yellow ; raceme 

 many-flowered. 1. elliptic-ovate. Central America, 1870. (B. M. 

 5840.) 



M. Greenii (Green's). A synonym of JU. uneia. 

 M. igneum (fiery). H. red, purple. January, h. 2ft. Central 



America, 1852. 



M. lentiginosum (freckly). A synonym of M. buccinator. 

 M. lineatum (lined), fl. dull olive-green, increasing with 

 maturity in intensity of colouring ; lip variable, but always 

 covered with loose, straggling hairs. March. Guatemala, 1836. 

 (B. R. xxviii. 43.) 



M. luxatum (dislocated), fl., sepals and petals creamy-white ; 

 lip of the same colour, with stripes of brown in the centre; 

 peduncle many-flowered. July. I. broad. Mexico, 1842. A 

 handsome species. (B. R. xxix. 33.) 



M. Ocanse (Ocana).* fl. dark orange-yellow, closely speckled with 

 red-brown spots, about Sin. in diameter when spread out ; sepals 

 and petals concav 



to ten-flowered. . , 



lanceolate, acuminate. Pseudo-bulbs elliptfc-oblong. Columbia, 

 1879. (B. M. 6496.) 



M. pardinum (panther-spotted).* fl., sepals and petals bright 

 yefiow, spotted with rich brown. July. Mexico, 1837. A hand- 

 some species, rarely seen in cultivation. (B. M. 3SOO.) 



y speckle 



s, aou n. n ameter when spread out ; sepals 

 cave, spreading ; lip with a long claw ; racemes six 

 . October. 1. 1ft. long by L'.in. broad, narrowly- 



