136 



MOM 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



MOM 



4. Mollugo Pentaphylla ; Five-leaved Mollugo. Leaves in 

 fives, obovate, equal ; flowers panicled, white ; root-leaves 

 oblong ; stem decumbent. Native of Ceylon. 



5.- Mollugo Verticillata ; Whorl-leaved Mollugo. Leaves 

 in whorls, wedge-form, acute ; stem subdivided, decumbent; 

 peduncles one-flowered. This is a trailing plant, spreading 

 out seven or eight inches every way, with six or seven small 

 leaves at each joint. Native of Virginia and Jamaica, where 

 it is pretty common in the dry savannas of Liguanee. 



6. Mollugo Triphylla ; Three-leaved Mollugo. Leaves in 

 threes, lanceolate ; flowers dichotomous. Stem herbaceous, 

 annual. Native of China, near Canton. 



Molucca Balm. See Moluccella. 



Molucca Bean. See Guilandina. 



Moluccella; a genus of the class Didynamia, order Gymno- 

 spermia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one- 

 leafed, very large, turbinate, gradually finishing in a very 

 wide, bell-shaped, tooth-spiny, incurved, permanent border. 

 Corolla: one-petalled, ringent, less than the calix; tube and 

 throat short ; upper lip upright, concave, entire ; lower lip 

 trifid ; the middle segment more produced, emarginate. Sta- 

 mina: filamenta four, under the upper lip, of which two are 

 shorter; antherae simple. Pistil: germen four-parted ; style 

 the size and situation of the stamina; stigma bifid. Pericarp: 

 none ; fruit turbinate, truncate, in the bottom of the open calix. 

 Seeds : four, convex on one side, angular on the other, at 

 top wide and truncate. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix: 



bell-shaped, widening, broader than the corolla, spiny. 



The species are six, among which are the following : 



1. Moluccella Lsevis; Smooth Molucca Balm. Calices 

 bell-shaped, commonly five-toothed ; toothlets equal. Root 

 annual ; stem three feet high, spreading out into many 

 branches, which are smooth, and come out by pairs. Native 

 of Syria. This and the next species are annuals, which decay 

 soon after the seeds are ripe, and being natives of warm 

 countries, seldom perfect their seeds in England when they 

 are sown in the spring. They should be raised therefore in 

 autumn, and planted in small pots, placed under a hot-bed 

 frame in winter, where they may have free air in mild weather, 

 by taking off the glasses ; but they must be covered in frosty 

 weather, observing to keep them pretty dry, otherwise they 

 are very subject to rot. In the spring the plants may be 

 turned out of the pots, with all the earth about their roots, 

 and planted in a warm border, defended from strong winds, 

 giving them a little water to settle the earth to their roots ; 

 after this, they will require no other care but to keep them 

 clean from weeds, and to support them with stakes to prevent 

 their being broken by the winds. The plants thus preserved 

 through the winter, will flower at the end of June, and good 

 seeds may be expected from them. 



2. Moluccella Spinosa ; Prickly Molucca Balm. Calices 

 ringent, eight-toothed ; toot annual; stems smooth, purplish, 

 four feet high, branching out in the same manner with the 

 first. Native of the Levant: it is commonly said to be a 

 native of the Molucca Islands. 



3. Moluccella Frutescens; Shrubby Molucca Balm. Cali- 

 ces funnel-form, five-cleft ; corollas longer than the calix. 

 This is a small shrub, with dichotomous branchlets. Native 

 of Persia, whence it has migrated into Italy : it has also 

 been observed in Piedmont. 



Moly. See Allium. 



Momordica ; a genus of the class Monoscia, order Synge- 

 nesia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Male Flowers. Calix: 

 perianth one-leafed, concave, five-cleft; segments lanceolate, 

 spreading. Corolla : five-parted, fastened to the calix, more 

 spreading, large, veined, wrinkled. Stamina: filamenta three, 



awl-shaped, short ; antherse on two filaments, bifid, eared at 

 the sides ; on the third simple, one-eared only, consisting of 

 a compressed body, and a fariniferous line once reflex. Fe- 

 male Flowers : on the same plant. Calix : perianth as in the 

 male, superior, deciduous. Corolla; as in the male. Sta- 

 mina: filamenta three, very short, without antherae. Pistil: 

 germen inferior, large ; style single, round, trifid, columnar; 

 stigmas three, gibbous, oblong, pointing outwards. Pericarp .' 

 pome dry, oblong, opening elastically, three-celled ; cells 

 membranaceous, soft, distant. Seeds : several, compressed. 

 ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Calix : five-cleft. Corolla: five- 

 parted. Male. Filamenta three. Female. Style trifid. 

 Pome : opening elastically. The species are, 



1. Momordica Balsamina; Common Momordica, or Male 

 Balsam Apple. Pomes angular, tubercled ; leaves smooth, 

 spreading, palmate. Stems trailing like those of the Cucum- 

 ber and Melon, extending three or four feet in length, and 

 sending out many side-branches, which have tendrils. This 

 plant is famous in Syria for curing wounds. They cut open 

 the unripe fruit, and infuse it in sweet oil, exposed to the sun 

 for some days, until the oil is become red. This oil, dropped 

 on cotton, is applied to a fresh wound, and is esteemed by 

 the Syrians next to Balsam of Mecca. The leaves and stems 

 are also used for arbours or bowers. To propagate this and 

 the six following species, sow the seeds on a hot-bed at the 

 beginning of March ; and when the plants come up, prick 

 them into a fresh hot-bed, letting them have fresh air in warm 

 weather, and refreshing them frequently with water. When 

 the plants have four or five leaves, plant them out into the 

 hot-bed where they are to remain, putting one or two plants 

 into each light; watering and shading them until they have 

 taken root. After this, treat them as Melons or Cucumbers, 

 permitting their branches to extend in the same manner, and 

 keeping them clean from weeds. With this management, if 

 they have not too much wet, and are not too much exposed 

 to the open air, they will produce fruit in July, and the seeds 

 will ripen in August and September; when it must be gathered 

 as soon as it opens, otherwise the seeds will be cast abroad, 

 and with difficulty gathered up again. 



2. Momordica Charantia: Hairy Momordica. Pomes 

 angular, tubercled ; leaves villose, longitudinally palmate. 

 Stem round, slender, branched, climbing by lateral tendrils. 

 Native of the East Indies. See the preceding species. 



3. Momordica Operculata; Lidded Momordica. Pomes 

 angular-tubercled, having a lid from the falling of the top ; 

 leaves lobed. Native of America. 



4. Momordica LufFa; Egyptian Momordica. Pomes ob- 

 long ; grooves like a chain ; leaves gashed. Stem angular, 

 very much branched, climbing by bifid spiral tendrils. The 

 fruit when young is made into a pickle, like the Mango, but 

 it has a disagreeable taste, and is not accounted very whole- 

 some. The Arabians call this plant Liff or Luff; they culti- 

 vate it, and it climbs up the Palm-trees, covering and ele-* 

 gantly adorning their trunks. It is also largely cultivated hi 

 China and Cochin-china. Native of the East Indies. 



5. Momordica Cylindrica ; Long-fruited Momordica. 

 Pomes cylindric, very long ; leaves with acute angles. Stem 

 five-angled. Native of Ceylon and China. 



6. Momordica Trifolia; Three-leaved Momordica. Pomes 

 ovate, muricate ; leaves ternate, toothed. Native of the 

 East Indies. 



7. Momordica Pedata ; Pedate-leaved Momordica. Pomes 

 striated ; leaves pedate, serrate. Native of Peru. 



8. Momordica Elaterium ; Elastic Momordica. Pomes 

 hispid ; tendrils none. It has a large, fleshy, perennial root, 

 somewhat like that of Bryony ; stems thick, rough, trailing, 



