134 



M I R 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



MIT 



roots in their native country grow to a great size. There are 

 many varieties in the colour of the flowers, such as purple or 

 red, white, yellow, variegated purple and white, and variegated 

 purple and yellow. These however resolve themselves into 

 two principal varieties ; purple-flowered, and yellow-flowered : 

 The first of which has purple and white flowers, which are 

 variable ; some are plain purple, others plain white, but most 

 of them are variegated with the two colours, and all are some- 

 times found upon the same plant. The second has red and 

 yellow flowers, generally mixed, but sometimes distinct on the 

 same plants ; some plants have only plain yellow flowers, others 

 only are variegated, and others again both plain and varie- 

 gated: but plants raised from the seeds of the purple and 

 white never produce red and yellow flowers, nor the contrary. 

 These varieties are very ornamental plants in a flower-garden, 

 during the months of July, August, and September; and if the 

 season should continue mild, they often last till near the end 

 of October. The flowers do not open till towards the evening, 

 whilst the weather continues warm ; but in moderate cool 

 weather, while the sun is obscured, they continue open al- 

 most the whole day. They are produced so plentifully at the 

 ends of the branches, that when they are expanded, the plants 

 seem entire covered with them ; and some being plain, others 

 variegated, on the same plant, they make a fine appearance. 

 Native of the East and West Indias, China, Cochin-china, 

 and Africa ; but was introduced into Europe first from Peru. 

 Thunberg informs us, that the Japanese ladies make a white 

 paint from the meal of the seeds of this plant, to improve 

 their complexions. Propagation and culture. Sow the seeds 

 on a moderate hot-bed, in March. When the plants come 

 up, admit plenty of air to them, when the weather is mild : 

 when they are two inches high, transplant them on another 

 very moderate hot-bed ; or plant each in a small pot filled 

 with light earth, and plunged into a hot-bed; whence they 

 may be shaken out into the borders with more security. When 

 they are in the second hot-bed, let them be shaded till they 

 have taken fresh root ; after which, they must have plenty of 

 free air ; and in May, should be gradually inured to the open 

 air. In the beginning of June, if the season be favourable, 

 transplant them into the borders of the pleasure-garden, giving 

 them proper room ; and after they have taken new root, they 

 will require no further care. If the seeds be sown in a warm 

 border, at the beginning of April, they will grow very well ; 

 but the plants will be late in the season before they flower. 

 As the seeds ripen very well, there are not many persons who 

 are at the trouble of preserving the roots : if these, however, 

 be taken out of the ground in autumn, and laid in dry sand 

 all the winter, secured from frost, and planted again in the 

 spring, they will grow much larger, and flower earlier, than 

 the seedling plants : or if the roots be covered with tanner's 

 bark in winter, to keep out the frost, they may remain in the 

 borders, if the soil be dry. If the roots, which are taken out 

 of the ground, be planted the following spring, in large pots, 

 and plunged into a hot-bed, under a deep frame, they may be 

 brought forward, and raised to the height of four or five feet ; 

 and come earlier in the season to flower. In the choice of 

 seeds, care should be taken not to save any from the plants 

 with plain flowers; and in order to have variegated flowers, 

 the plain flowers should be pulled off. 



2. Mirabilis Dichotoma; Forked Marvel of Peru. Flowers 

 sessile, axillary, erect, solitary. It is a native of Mexico ; 

 but is very common in all the islands of the West Indies, where 

 the inhabitants call it the Four-o'clock Flower, from the 

 flowers opening at that time of the day. This is not quite so 

 hardy as the first species ; so that unless the plants be brought 

 forward in the spring, they will not flower till very late. 



'). Mirabilis Longiflora ; Sweet-scented Marvel of Peru. 

 Flowers heaped, very long, somewhat nodding, terminating; 

 leaves subvillose. The stalks of this sort fall on the ground, 

 if not supported ; the flowers come out at the ends of the 

 branches, are white, have very long slender tubes, and a faint 

 musky odour : as in the other species, they are shut during 

 the day, and expand as the sun declines. It flowers from 

 June to September. Native of Mexico. 



4. Mirabilis Viscosa; Clammy Marvel of Peru. Flowers 

 racemed; leaves cordate, orbiculate, acute, tomentose. Stems 

 thick, round, swelling at the joints, with opposite branches, 

 three or four feet high. Native of Peru 



Misscltoe. See Viscum. 



Mitchella; a genus of the class Tetrandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : flowers two, sitting 

 on the same germen; perianths two, distinct, four-toothed, 

 erect, permanent, superior. Corolla: one-petalled, funnel- 

 form; tube cylindric; border four-parted, spreading, hirsute 

 within. Stamina: filamenta four, filiform, erect, within the 

 sinuses of the corolla ; antherae oblong, acute- Pistil: ger- 

 men twin, orbiculate, common to two, inferior; style filiform, 

 the length of the corolla ; stigmas four, oblong. Pericarp : 

 berry two-parted, globular, with separate navels. Seeds: 

 four, compressed, callous. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Co- 

 rollas: one-petalled, superior, two on the same germen. 



Stigmas: four. Berry: bifid, four-seeded. The only 



known species is, 



1. Mitchella Repens ; Creeping Mitchella. Native of 

 Carolina, Maryland, and Virginia. 



Mitella; a genus of the class Decandria, order Digynia. 

 GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one-leafed, half 

 five-cleft, bell-shaped, permanent. Corolla: petals five, mul- 

 tifid, capillary, twice as large as the calix, and inserted into 

 it. Stamina : filamenta ten, awl-shaped, inserted into the 

 calix, shorter than the corolla ; antheree roundish. Pistil ; 

 germen roundish, bifid; styles scarcely any ; stigmas blunt. 

 Pericarp: capsule ovate, one-celled, half two-valved ; valves 

 flat, rolled back at top, equal. Seeds: very many. ESSEN- 

 TIAL CHARACTER. Calix : five-cleft. Corolla : five-petalled, 

 inserted into the calix; petals pinnatifid. Capsule: one- 

 celled, two-valved ; valves equal. These plants are increased 

 by parting the roots in autumn : they love shade, and a soft 

 loamy soil. The species are, 



1. Mitella Diphylla; Tivo-leaved Mitella. Scape two- 

 leaved. Root perennial ; stalks eight or nine inches high, and 

 are terminated by a loose spike of small whitish flowers, the 

 petals of which are fringed on their edges. Native of most 

 parts of North America, in woods. 



2. Mitella Nuda ; Naked Mitella. Leaves kidney-shaped ; 

 scape naked. Native of Siberia and North America. 



3. Mitella Cordifolia. Leaves orbiculate, reniform, sub- 

 duplicate, crenate, lucid ; scape setaceous, aphyllous. It 

 flowers in May and June ; and is found in Canada, and on 

 the high mountains of New York and Pennsylvania. 



4. Mitella Prostrata. Root creeping ; stalks prostrate ; 

 leaves alternate, rotund-cordate, subacute, obtusely sub- 

 lobate. It flowers in May and June. Found in the most 

 southern parts of Canada; and growing also upon the moun- 

 tains of Virginia, near the sweet springs. 



5. Mitella Grandiflora. Plant very rough; leaves rotund- 

 cordate, obtusely lobate, dentate ; flowers pedicellated ; 

 calices campanulate. Found on the north-west coast of 

 America. The flowers are more than four times the size of 

 the other species. 



Mithridatea; a genus of the class Monandria, order Mono - 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: receptacle common 



