402 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Myginda continued. 



small; petals four or five, reflexed. Leaves opposite, 

 alternate, or whorled (in one species distichous), variable 

 in form, entire or crenated. M. latifoUa, the species 

 best known to gardeners, thrives in almost any mode- 

 rately good light soil. Propagated in autumn, by cut- 

 tings of the ripened shoots, placed in sand, under a glass, 

 in heat. 

 M. latifolia (broad-leaved), fl. white, small ; peduncles trifld, 



few-flowered. April and May. I. elliptical, crenate, smooth, 



shortly stalked, coriaceous, h. 3ft. West Indies, 1796. Stove. 

 M. myrtlfolia (Myrtle-leaved). A synonym of Pachystima, Myrsi- 



nites. 



MYLOCAB.YUM (from myle, a mill, and karyon, a 

 nut; the dry seeds have four wings like a windmill). 

 Buckwheat-tree. OED. Cyrillece. A. monotypio genus, 

 the proper name of which is Cliftonia. The species is a 

 half-hardy evergreen shrub, thriving in a compost of sandy 

 loam and dried leaf mould ; it requires a sheltered, warm 

 border, but does best under cool greenhouse treatment. 

 Propagated by cuttings of half-ripened shoots, inserted in 

 sand, under a glass. 

 M. ligustrlnnm (Ligustrum-like). fl. white, fragrant ; racemes 



spiked, terminal. May. I. cuneate-lanceolate, acute, h. 8ft. 



South United States. (B. M. 1625.) The proper name of this 



plant is now Cliftonia ligustrina. 



MYOPORINE2E. A natural order of erect or diffuse 

 shrubs, rarely trees or sub-shrubs, natives, for the most 

 part, of Australia, a few dispersed through the Southern 

 islands from Mauritius as far as the Sandwich Islands, 

 two in South Africa, two in the states of Japan or China, 

 and one in the West Indies. Flowers axillary, solitary 

 or fasciculate, sub-sessile or pedicellate. Leaves alter- 

 nate, scattered, or rarely opposite, entire or rarely 

 dentate, undivided, exstipulate. The order comprises five 

 genera and about eighty species. Illustrative genera 

 are : Myoporum and Oftta. 



Fro. 622. FLOWERING BRANCHLET OF MYOPOKUM PARVIFOLIUM. 



MYOPORUM (from myo, to shut, and poros, a pore, 

 or opening; referring to the transparent spots on the 

 leaves). SYNS. Andreusia, Pogonia (of Andrews). ORD. 



Myopornm continued. 



Myoporinece. This genus comprises about twenty species 

 of erect, tall, or diffuse, greenhouse shrubs, rarely sub- 

 shrubs, inhabiting Australia, New Zealand, the Mascarene 

 Islands, the Malayan Archipelago, the islands of the 

 Pacific, China, and Japan. Flowers often white, small 

 or medium; corolla tube very short or cylindrical, sub- 

 campanulate or funnel-shaped ; pedicels axillary, often 

 fasciculate. Leaves alternate or rarely opposite, entire 

 or dentate. The species thrive in a compost of loam 

 and peat, with a small quantity of sand added. Propa- 

 gated by cuttings of the young shoots, taken during April, 

 and inserted in sand, under a bell glass. The species are 

 rarely seen in cultivation. All those described below are 

 natives of Australia. 



M. acuminatum (acuminate), fl. white; corolla almost cam- 

 panulate, more or less bearded inside. March. I. alternate, 

 varying from elliptic-oblong to lanceolate or linear, h. 3ft. 1812. 



M. debile (weak), fl. pink or purplish. June. I. alternate, 

 shortly petiolate or nearly sessile, elliptic, oblong 



entire or toothed, h. lift. 1793. 



oblong, or lanceolate, 



M. parvifolium (small-leaved), fl. white, solitary, or two or 

 three together. June. I. scattered, rather crowded, linear or 

 linear-spathulate, sometimes under iin. long. h. 3ft. 1803. See 

 Fig. 622. (B. M. 1693.) 



M. serratum (saw-toothed), fl. white and purple, several in each 

 axil. May. I. generally elliptic-oblong or lanceolate, obtuse or 

 acute, and more or less serrate, but in some maritime species 

 nearly all entire, h. 2ft. The leaves and flowers of this species 

 are very variable. 



MYOSOTIDIUM (from Myosotis, and eidos, re- 

 sembling; flowers like those of Myosotis). ORD. Boraginece. 

 A monotypic genus, the species being a very handsome 

 hardy, or nearly hardy, herbaceous perennial, resembling 

 a gigantic Forget-me-not. This plant is very difficult to 

 cultivate ; it is most impatient of root disturbance, and 

 seems to do best in a cool, damp, sheltered spot outdoors. 

 M. nobile (noble), fl. white, with blue centres, about Jin. across, 

 disposed in very large and dense racemes ; corolla salver-shaped, 

 with a very short tube. Spring. I. large, fleshy, glabrous, 

 shining, plicate, h. lift. Chatham Islands, 1858. (B. M. 5137.) 



MYOSOTIS (the Greek name used by Dioscorides, 

 and derived from mys, myos, a mouse, and ous, otos, an 

 ear ; supposed resemblance in leaves). Forget-me-not. 

 ORD. Boraginece. A rather large genus (more than forty 



Fio. 623. MYOSOTIS ALPESTRIS, showing Habit, single detached 

 Leaf, and Inflorescence. 



species have been described by various authors) of very 

 pretty and elegant hardy annuals or perennials, natives 

 of North and South temperate regions, most common 

 in Europe and Australia. Flowers blue, pink, or white, 

 in terminal scorpioid cymes, bracteate or not. Eadical 

 leaves stalked, canline ones sessile, linear-oblong. The 

 species are of very easy culture in moist and shady places. 

 All are propagated by seeds, sown in spring, on a warm 

 sunny border. The perennials may also be increased by 

 divisions of the roots, in spring; or by cuttings, placed 

 under a hand light, in a shady spot, in summer. 



