MELALEUCA 



MELASTOMA 



2023 



long, each claw bearing about 7 terminal filaments: fr. 

 with broad base partly embedded in the rachis. 

 Resembles an arboreous heath. Used to a limited 

 extent in Calif, as a lawn tree. 



AA. Infl. a terminal globose head, the rachis seldom 

 growing out until after flowering, 



12. nesophila, F. Muell. Glabrous shrub or tree, to 

 35 ft., with thick spongy bark exfoliating in broad 

 strips: Ivs. alternate, thick, obovate-oblong, obtuse 

 but often mucronate, y?-\ in. long, about Min. wide, 

 obscurely 1- or 3-nerved: fls. pink or rose-color, the 

 heads 1 in. or more thick; stamen-claw short: frs. 

 smooth, congested in knot-like masses. May-Sept. 

 A very rapidly growing species used for large shrub- 

 beries and (in S. Calif.) for shade above seats in parks. 

 The persistent caps, are unsightly in small grounds. 



13. nodSsa, Smith. Tall, nearly glabrous shrub: Ivs. 

 nearly awl-like, rigid, straight, y$r\ m - long: fls. pale 

 yellow, in many small heads scarcely J^in. thick: frs. 

 in small inconspicuous heads. Bot. Cook's First Voy. 

 115. 



14. incana, R. Br. Tall shrub, the young twigs, 

 flowering branches, and young Ivs. ashy-pubescent: 

 Ivs. alternate, rarely opposite, spreading, linear to 

 lanceolate, acute, 24-^in. long, mostly 1-nerved: fls. 

 yellowish white, in dense ovoid or oblong spikes about 

 %in. wide; stamens shortly united in bundles of 3-9: 

 frs. in dense cylindric spikes %-l in. long. B.R. 410. 



M. fiilgens, R. Br. Stands next to M. lateritia in botanical 

 characters but Ivs. mostly opposite: fls. dark red; stamens 1 in. 

 long, the ribbon-like claw splitting into numerous filaments. B.R. 

 103. R.H. 1895:232. M. genistifdlia, Smith. Near M. lateritia: 

 Ivs. alternate, narrow-lanceolate, rigid, the upper finely striate: 

 stamens about Mi n - long. M. microm&ria, Schau. Stands next to 

 M. incana: Ivs. minute, scale-like, densely clothing the st. Once 

 grown at Santa Barbara. M. tenella, Benth. Near M. nodosa: 

 Ivs. scattered or in 3's, linear, J^in. long: stamens about 2 lines 



long - HARVEY MONROE HALL. 



MELANTHIUM (Greek, black flower; from the color 

 which the persistent perianth assumes on fading). 

 Liliacese. Leafy perennial herbs 2-5 ft. high, with thick 

 rootstocks: Ivs. linear to oblanceolate, the lower ones 

 sheathing: fls. greenish, white or cream-colored, borne 

 in a large open terminal panicle; segms. of perianth 6, 

 separate, clawed, biglandular; stamens adnate to segms.; 

 styles 3, subulate: fr. a 3-celled caps. Species 4, E. U. S. 



virginicum, Linn. BUNCH-FLOWER. St. rather stout, 

 to 5 ft., leafy: Ivs. linear, 1 ft. or less long: panicles 6-18 

 in. long; fls. 6-10 lines across, greenish yellow, double 

 gland at top of claw. July. Marshy woodlands and 

 meadows from New England to Fla. and Minn, to 

 Texas. B.M. 985 (as Helonias virginica). A showy 

 and striking plant, good for bog-planting and coloniz- 

 ing. The other species appear not to have been offered 

 in the trade. L. H. B. 



MELASPILERULA (a little black sphere; referring 

 to the bulblets or the seeds). Iriddcese. One species 

 from the Cape of Good Hope, a small bulbous plant 

 procurable from Dutch bulb-growers. It belongs to the 

 Ixia tribe, in which the fls. are spicate, not fugitive, and 

 never more than 1 to a spathe. It resembles Ixia in 

 having a regular perianth and simple style-branches, 

 but belongs to a different group of genera in which the 

 stamens are 1-sided and arched. Perianth slit nearly 

 to the ovary, the segms. oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate 

 and very acuminate; stamens short, attached in base of 

 perianth; style short and filiform: caps. 3-lobed, locu- 

 licidal. Treated as ixias in cult. 



graminea, Ker (Gladiolus gramineus, Linn. f.). Conn 

 globose, Vim. diam.: st. very slender, 1 ft. or more long: 

 Ivs. about 6 in a 2-ranked, basal rosette, linear, J^-l 

 ft. long: spikes few-fld., panicled; fls. yellowish green, 

 veined with purplish black, H~Mi n - across. Spring. 

 Coast region of S. Afr. B.M. 615. L. H. B. 



MELASTOMA (Greek for black and mouth; said to 

 allude to the color left in the mouth when the berries of 

 some species are eaten). Melastomaceae. Woody green- 

 house plants. 



This genus, which gives name to the great family 

 Melastomacea?, with more than 2,000 species, is little 

 known in cult. It is not the most important genus of 

 the family, either horticulturally or in number of spe- 

 cies. Cogniaux (DC. Monogr. Phaner. 7) admits 37 

 species. The larger part of melastomaceous plants are 

 of Trop. Amer., but the true melastomas are natives to 

 Trop. Asia, Austral, and Oceanica. They are shrubs or 

 rarely small trees: Ivs. opposite, petiolate, oblong or 

 lanceolate, thick and entire, strongly nerved lengthwise, 

 often handsomely colored: fls. solitary or fascicled on 

 the ends of the branches, purple or rose (rarely white), 

 large and showy; calyx mostly 5-lobed; petals usually 

 5 and often unequal, ciliate on the back; stamens 10 as a 

 rule, very strongly unequal, part of them being short 

 and small: fr. a leathery or fleshy berry, breaking irregu- 

 larly, 5-7-loculed, with many small spiral seeds. Nearly 

 all tropical melastomaceous plants require a high tem- 

 perature, partial shade and considerable moisture. 



The melastomas are seldom seen in greenhouses, yet 

 on account of the showy flowers of some of the species all 

 representative collections of plants should have a few of 

 them. The plants known under this name to gardeners 

 are likely to belong in part to other genera (specially 

 to Miconia) but they agree in cultural requirements. 

 They are not difficult to grow, and a little effort be- 

 stowed on them will repay the grower when flowering 

 time arrives. Cuttings may be secured from the half- 

 ripened wood in spring. The best way is to place each 

 one in a small pot, in equal parts of peat and sand. 

 Plunge the pots in a bed with 70 to 75 of bottom heat, 

 keeping them shaded from the sun. It is better to 

 inclose them in a tight frame, or case, to avoid draughts. 

 When rooted, place the plants in a greenhouse near to 

 the glass, in a night temperature of 65. When they 

 become inured to their position, pinch the heart out of 

 them to encourage breaks. Shift them along as they 

 require it. The compost from now on should be equal 

 parts of peat and loam, with about a third of sand, and 

 a little broken charcoal also may be added. See that 

 the receptacles are well drained, as when the plants are 

 growing they require plenty of water, which should have 

 a free outlet to prevent stagnation. If peat cannot be 

 procured, they will do very well in a good fibrous loam 

 to which a third of leaf-mold has been added. The 

 first season the ami should be to procure a well- 

 shaped plant and this may be done by cutting back the 

 strong shoots, allowing the weaker ones to grow longer 

 to acquire strength. Keep them protected from the 

 sun with a slight shade, such as cheese-cloth, to prevent 

 the foliage from burning. In winter a somewhat lower 

 temperature may be given and a rather dry atmosphere 

 maintained. When the plants are established in their 

 flowering pots, applications of weak liquid manure 

 may be given once a week until they show flower. 

 In the growing period, occasional syringings with clean 

 water may be made to the under side of the foliage to 

 prevent red-spider. Other insect pests may be kept 

 in check by fumigation with hydrocyanic gas, at the 

 rate of one-half ounce to the 1,000 cubic feet. The 

 atmosphere and plants should be on the dry side, and 

 the temperature around 60 when the operation is per- 

 formed. Some of the species flower in winter. M. 

 decemfidum is an example. Others flower in summer, 

 among which may be mentioned M. corymbosum, M. 

 denticulatum (see Miconia), and M. malabathricum. 

 (George F. Stewart.) 



A. Los. strongly 5-nerved. 



decemfidum, Rpxbg. (M. sanguineum, D. Don. M. 

 malabdthricum, Sims, not Linn.). Three to 4 ft.: 

 branches subterete and hirsute: Ivs. lanceolate or 



