AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



391 



MULBERRY, PAPER. See Broussonetia papy- 

 rifera. 



MULCHING. The process of applying various sub- 

 stances as a covering for soil above the roots of trees and 

 plants, in order to prevent evaporation, and so preserve a 

 uniform degree of heat and moisture. Mulching is also 

 largely practised for other reasons, more particularly that 

 of supplying a top-dressing of rich manure to established 

 plants, so that its nutritive properties may be washed 

 down by rain or artificial watering. All recently trans- 

 planted trees and shrubs, more especially fruit-trees, are 

 greatly assisted by being provided with a Mulching of 

 litter, half-rotted manure, leaves, or something of a 

 similar description. This acts beneficially in retaining 

 warmth and moisture, thus considerably neutralising the 

 evil effects of drought, extreme cold or heat. Straw 

 chaff, short litter, cocoa-nut fibre, and spent tan, are 

 excellent non-conductors, where enriching properties are 

 not required. For plants or trees needing help in 

 summer, to perfect their flowers or fruits, a Mulching 

 of fresh horse-dung, or good rotten manure, laid on the 

 surface of the soil, and well watered occasionally, will 

 often prove of immense permanent benefit. 



MULGEDIUM. This genus is now included, by 

 Bentham and Hooker, under Lactuca (which see). 



MULLEIN. See Verbascum. 



MULTIFARIOUS. Very numerous, or arranged in 



many rows. 



MULTIFID. Cleft half-way into many parts. 

 MULTIPARTITE. Divided into many parts. 

 MUNDTIA named after Heinrich Mundt, a botanist 

 of the seventeenth century). STN. Nylandtia, OBD. 

 Polygaleas. A monotypic genus, the species being a 

 small, much-branched, spinous, rigid, greenhouse shrub. 

 It thrives in sandy peat. Propagated in May, by stiff 

 young shoots, placed in sand, under a bell glass, in a 

 cold frame. 



M. spinosa (spiny). A. white, with a red keel, small, sessile. 

 January to May. I. scattered, spathulate, obtuse, rather 

 mucronate. Branches smooth, spinescent at the apex, angular. 

 h. 2ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1780. 



MUNTINGIA (named after Abraham Munting, 1626- 

 1683, at one time Professor of Botany in the University 

 of Groeningen). OED. Tiliacece. A monotypic genus, 

 the species being a handsome, small, stove evergreen 

 tree or shrub. A compost of sandy fibry loam and leaf 

 mould, is suitable. Propagated by cuttings of half- 

 ripened shoots, placed in sand, under a glass, in heat. 



M. Calabnra (Calabura). /. white, lin. in diameter, resembling 

 those of the Bramble ; pedicels in pairs, or sometimes in fours, 

 axillary, one-flowered. June. I. sessile, oblique, semi-cordate at 



the base, lanceolate, villous beneath, 4in. to 5in. long. h. 12ft. to 

 25ft. Tropical America, &c., 1690. An infusion of the leaves is 

 used as tea in Caraccas. (B. M. 5982.) 



MURALTIA (named after John Von Muralt, 1645- 

 1733, a Swiss botanist). OBD. Polygalece. A genus 

 comprising about fifty species of greenhouse, densely- 

 branched, small shrubs or under-shrubs, confined to South 

 Africa. Flowers small, axillary, sub-sessile, solitary. 

 Leaves few or fasciculate, small, rigid, often acioulate. 

 M. Heisteria, the species best known to cultivation, is 

 almost perpetually in flower under good treatment. It 

 thrives best in a peaty soil, to which should be added 

 plenty of sand. Propagated by cuttings of short young 

 shoots, placed in sandy peat, under a hand glass. 

 Similar culture will be suitable for the other species. 



M. filiformis (tbread-formed). fl. reddish, axillary, sessile, soli- 

 tary, shorter than the leaves, rather distant, beardless. Flower- 

 ing during the greater part of the year. I. alternate, somewhat 

 remote, awl-shaped, h. 12ft. 1800. (A. B. E. 424, under name 

 of Polygala micrantha.) 



M. Heisteria (Heister's).* H. purple, small, axillary, sessile. 

 January. I. triquetrous, stiff, spiny at the apex, in bundles. 

 chlel 



Branchlets puberulous. h. 2ft to 3ft. 1787, 



lie apex, 

 . (P.M. 



B. iv. 150.) 



Mnraltia continued. 



M. Stipulaoea (stipuled). fl. red, lateral, beardless. June. 

 I. ternate, linear, acuta h. 3ft. 1801. (A. B. R. 363, under name 

 of Polygala stipulacea.) 



MURICATE. Covered with short, sharp points. 



MURRATA (named after John Andrew Murray, 

 1740-1791, a Swedish botanist, once Professor of Medi- 

 cine and Botany in the University of Gottingen, and a 

 pupil of Linnaeus). SYN. Chalcas. OBD. Rutacece. A 

 small genus (about four species) of unarmed stove trees 

 or shrubs, inhabiting tropical Asia and tropical and 

 Western sub-tropical Australia. Flowers rather large, 

 solitary, axillary, or disposed in terminal corymbs or 

 in axillary cymes ; calyx five-fid or five-partite ; petals 

 five, free, linear-oblong or ovate-lanceolate, imbricated. 

 Berry small, one or two-seeded, oblong or ovoid. Leaves 

 pinnate ; leaflets petiolulate, cuneate at base or un- 

 oquilateral, entire or obscurely crennlate. The species 

 thrive in a compost of turfy loam and peat. Pro- 

 pagated by cuttings of ripened wood, which should be 

 taken with leaves intact, and inserted in sand, under a 

 bell glass, in moist bottom heat. 



FIG 605. MURRAYA EXOTICA, showing Habit, and Flowering 

 Branchlet (natural size). 



(foreign), fl. white, fragrant; peduncles many- 

 flowered, corymbose. August, fr. red, roundish, one-seeded, 

 L, leaflets seven to nine, obovate, obtuse, h. 10ft. India, 1771. 

 See Fig. 605. (B. E. 434.) 



M. paniculate (paniculate). This is a mere form of the above, 

 only differing in its fewer-flowered peduncles and more arboreous 

 habit. 



MURUCUJA. Included under Passiflora (which see). 



MUSA (Mauz is the Arabic name of the genus, but 

 Linnaeus says he named it after Antonius Musa, the phy- 

 sician of Augustus). Banana, or Plantain-tree. ORD. Scita- 

 minece. Of this genus about eighteen plants have been 

 described as species, but some of these are merely culti- 

 vated varieties. They are large-growing, stove, herbaceous 

 plants, confined to the tropical regions of the globe. 

 Flowers borne on a long nodding spike, clustered together 

 in groups, protected by large, sometimes highly coloured 

 bracts ; calyx elongated, striated, the apex trifid, or three 

 or five-toothed ; corolla shorter than the calyx, or almost 

 equal. Fruit fleshy. Leaves large, long. True stem very 

 small ; the sheaths of the leaves, however, are very long, 

 and closely compacted, so as to form a kind of false 

 stem. Musas are handsome foliage plants, available for 

 culture in large pots or tubs when required to be movable, 

 or they may be permanently planted in houses which afford 

 sufficient heat and space for their development. Some 

 of the hardier species, under the first-named treatment, 

 may be utilised for sub-tropical gardening outside, in 

 summer. M. Ensete and M. superba are two of the best 

 and hardiest for the purpose. A sheltered position is 



