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THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



An order of trees, shrubs, or sub- 

 shrubs, of variable habit, principally inhabiting the tropical 

 parts of Asia and America; they are rare beyond the 

 tropics, at the Cape of Good Hope, in Australia, New 

 Zealand, Japan, and the Canaries. Flowers white or 

 pink, rarely yellow, purplish, or golden, usually small ; 

 inflorescence cymose, umbellate, fasciculate, racemose, or 

 paniculate. Leaves alternate or scattered, very rarely 

 opposite, sometimes sub-verticillate, entire, dentate or 

 rarely serrate, and, for the most part, gland-dotted. 

 The order contains about twenty-three genera and 500 

 species. Illustrative genera are: Mgiceras, Jacquinea, 

 Myrsine, and Theophrasta. 



MYRSIFHYLLUM (from Myrsine, Myrtle, and 

 phyllon, a leaf; leaves aromatic). OBD. Liliacece. A 

 small genus of greenhouse, deciduous twiners, natives of 

 the Cape of Good Hope, now included, by Bentham and 

 Hooker, under Asparagus. Flowers greenish, on nodding 

 pedicels, two or three together at the base of the leaves, 

 from the axils of small white scales; perianth persistent, 

 bell - shaped. Leaves ovate - lanceolate or lanceolate, 

 obliquely cordate at the base. The species most gene- 

 rally grown is M. asparagoides, which thrives best if 

 planted in a warm part of the greenhouse, and in a 



MYRTLE. 



Myrtus communis. 



Fio. 627. MYRSIPHYLLUM ASPARAGOIDES, showing (1) Portion of 

 Flowering Stem, Ac., reduced; (2) ditto, natural size; and 

 (3) detached Flower. 



prepared bed of loam and leaf soil, where the slender 

 growths can be trained up a pillar or rafter. Plenty 

 of water should be given when the plants are growing. 

 Propagation may be easily effected by seeds, by cuttings, 

 or by divisions of the root. 



M. asparagoides (Asparagus-like).* fl. greenish or white. June. 

 I. small, bright glossy green. Branchlets very pretty, spray-like ; 

 these are largely employed in the composition of wreaths, 

 bouquets, &c. 1702. SYN. Medeola asparagoides. See Fig. 627. 

 (B. M. 5584.) 



MYRTACE.2E. A large order of trees, shrubs, or 

 very rarely sub-shrubs, scarcely ever sub-scandent, in- 

 habiting, for the most part, the tropical regions of the 

 globe. Inflorescence axillary, simple, racemose or race- 

 mose-paniculate, rarely cymose. Leaves simple, entire, 

 or rarely obscurely crenate-serrate, opposite or alternate, 

 often dotted from pellucid glands sunk into the paren- 

 chyma, narrowed into a petiole at the base (or sessile) ; 

 stipules usually none, or rarely geminate at the base of 

 the petioles, minute, caducous. The order comprises 

 about seventy-six genera and 1800 species. Illustrative 

 genera are: Darwinia, Hypocalymma, Leptospermum, 

 Melaleuca, and Myrtus. 



MYRTUS (from Myrtos, the old Greek name). Myrtle. 

 Including Luma and Ugni. OBD. Myrtacece. An exten- 

 sive genus (upwards of 100 species have been enumerated, 

 but the number may probably be reduced) of stove, green- 

 house, or nearly hardy, glabrous, tomentose, or pubescent, 

 shrubs, rarely trees ; they are mostly dispersed through 

 tropical, extra-tropical, and Western South, America ; eight 

 are found in Australia, six in New Caledonia, four in 

 New Zealand, and one frequently occurs in Europe and 

 Western Asia. Calyx-tube turbinate ; lobes and petals 

 four or five, the latter spreading ; peduncles axillary, 

 often slender, one to many-flowered ; central flowers short, 

 lateral ones on long pedicels. Berry adnate to, or in- 

 cluded in, the calyx-tube. Leaves opposite, penniveined. 

 The common species (M. communis) and its varieties 

 are popular and well-known plants, with flowers and 

 foliage rather strongly scented. When grown in pots, 

 they are equally well adapted for greenhouse, room, or 

 window decoration. The small branches, especially of 

 the narrow-leaved form, are very useful for intermix- 

 ing with cut flowers. This species may also be grown 

 against a wall, outside, in many parts, if a slight pro- 

 tection is afforded in winter. M. Ugni succeeds well, 

 either planted out, or grown in large pots, in 

 a greenhouse. The fruits, when ripe, are highly 

 flavoured, and emit an agreeable perfume, 

 which pervades the whole house. All Myrtles 

 are of easy culture, in a compost of sandy 

 loam and leaf soil. They are readily propa- 

 gated by cuttings of firm or partially-ripened 

 shoots, inserted under a glass, or in a close 

 frame, those of the stove species requiring, of 

 course, a warmer temperature than the green- 

 house or half-hardy ones. The common species 

 may be trained as tall standards, or in almost 

 any shape desired. An abundance of water, 

 and frequent syringings, are requisite for all 

 Myrtles throughout the summer. The roots 

 should not be allowed to get quite dry at any 

 time. 



M.bnllata (blistered).* /., petals pale pink, orbicular 

 peduncles one-flowered. Berry black, urceolate. I. 

 shortly petioled, lin. to 2in. long, broadly elliptic- 

 ovate or orbicular-ovate, obtuse, acute, or apiculate. 

 A. 10ft. to 15ft. New Zealand, 1853. Greenhouse 

 shrub. (B. M. 4809.) 

 M. Chcken (Cheken). fl. white, numerous, axillary. 

 I. small, closely set, oblong-ovate, obtuse, h. 6ft. 



Chili, 1847. A much-branched and densely-leafy, half-hardy 



shrub. (B. M. 5644.) 



FIG. 628. FLOWERING BRANCHLET OF MYRTUS COMMUNIS. 



M. communis (common).* Common Myrtle, fl,. white ; pedicels 

 solitary, one-flowered, about the length of the leaves, bearing 

 two linear bracteoles under the flowers. July. I. ovate or 

 lanceolate, acute, fi. Sit. to 10ft. South Europe, 1597. 



