MIRABILIS 



MITCHELLA 



2057 



spring from self-sown seeds. Even as far north as 

 New York, it often produces tuberous roots large 

 enough to be lifted and stored like dahlias. 



AA. Involucre containing 1-8 fls.: plant viscid-pubescent. 



californica, Gray. Plant 1-3 ft. tall, the many sts. 



ascending from a somewhat woody base: Ivs. thick or 



almost fleshy, 

 ovate-oblong to 

 round-ovate, 

 short- stalked : 

 '->>' 



involucres 5- 

 cleft, short - pe- 

 duncled, con- 

 taining 1-3 rose- 

 purple fls. Hin. 

 long, with sta- 

 mens sometimes 

 protruded. S. 

 Calif, to Utah 

 and S., on sunny 

 slopes, blooming all 

 winter in milder cli- 

 mates. Little known 

 in cult. 



ff AAA. Involucre con- 



taining 3 or more 

 long-tubed fls. 

 multiflSra, Gray. 

 Stout and tall (2-3 

 ft.), much-branched, some- 

 what pubescent or some- 

 times glabrous: Ivs. rather 

 thin, gray - green, lance- 

 ovate to broad-ovate, more 



2378. Miscanthus or less cordate, short- 



sinensis. (XX) stalked, acute or acuminate: 



involucre 3^in. long, stalked ; 

 fls. 6, with a tube often 2 

 in. long, rose to purple, the 

 style and the 5 stamens 

 protruded. Var. pubescens, 

 Wats. (M. Froebelii, 

 Greene), is very pubescent 



throughout. The M. multiflora of B.M. 6266 is prob- 

 ably this variety. The species ranges from Colo, and 

 Texas to S. Calif, and south. Little known in cult. 



longifldra, Linn. Plant 2-3 ft., glandular-pubescent 

 above: Ivs. cordate and usually acuminate, short- 

 stalked, pubescent: fls. pubescent, with a very narrow 

 tube 5-^6 in. long, and a small, flaring white, rose or 

 violet limb, very fragrant at evening. Mex. An old 

 garden plant, but less frequent than M . Jalapa; easily 

 grown from seeds. It has been hybridized with M. 

 Jalapa. L. H. B. 



MIRASOLIA: Tithvnia. 



MISCANTHUS (Greek, miskos, a stem, and anthos, 

 a flower). Graminese. ETJLALIA. Tall perennial grasses 

 with ample terminal feathery fan-shaped panicles, 

 allied to the sugar-cane and Erianthus; often planted 

 for bold lawn specimens and in borders. 



Spikelets 1-fld., in pairs at the joints of the rachis, 

 one nearly sessile, the other pedicellate, usually awned ; 

 clusters of silky hairs arising from the bases of the 

 spikelets give the panicle its beautiful feathery appear- 

 ance. Comprises about 6 species in S. and E. Asia, 

 several of which are cult, for ornament. Includes the 

 eulalias of the trade but not Eulalia, Kunth, which is 

 referred to Pollinia, by Hackel. 



Although many progressive nurserymen now adver- 

 tise these favorite grasses as Miscanthus, the name 

 eulalia will probably remain in the English language 

 as a thoroughly naturalized word, like geranium and 

 chrysanthemum. Eulalias probably rank among the 



first half-dozen most popular grasses cultivated for 

 ornament. They are remarkably hardy and are uni- 

 versal favorites for bedding. One of the commonest 

 and best designs for a bed of ornamental grasses 

 employs Arundo Donax as a tall centerpiece, sur- 

 rounded by eulalias. Propagated by seed or division 

 of roots. 



saccharifer, Benth. (sometimes written sacchari- 

 fibrus. Imperata sacchriflora, Maxim.). Distinguished 

 by its nearly or quite awnless spikelets. China. Gt. 

 1862:357. Procurable of dealers in Japanese plants. 



nepalensis, Hack. HIMALAYA FAIRY-GRASS. Spike- 

 lets one-fourth as long as the brown involucral hairs : Ivs. 

 smooth on the margin. Himalayas. Occasionally cult. 



sinensis, Anders. (Eulalia japonica, Trin.). Figs. 

 2378, 2379. Spikelets about equaling the white or sub- 

 violet involucral hairs: culm 4-9 ft. : Ivs. 2-3 ft., margins 

 scabrous: panicle 6-12 in., formed late in the season. 

 Established plants form clumps as much as 18 ft. in 

 circum. Sometimes found escaped from cult. The 

 forms in cult, are mostly the following varieties: Var. 

 variegatus, with Ivs. striped; var. zebrinus, Ivs. 

 banded. These two varieties are not quite so hardy as 

 the type, and are usually prop, by division, as the seeds 

 are not so sure to come true. Gn. 61, p. 74. Gng. 4: 

 375; 6:107. B.M. 7304. G.W. 3:423. Var. gracillimus 

 (Eulalia gracillima univittdta, E. japonica gracillima, 

 etc.). Lvs. much narrower than the type. Gn. 50, p. 

 108. Gng. 5:273. R.B. 21, p. 179. 



A. S. HITCHCOCK. 



MISCHOPHLCEUS (stem and bark, of no evident 

 application). Palm&cese. One unarmed palm of medium 

 height with pinnatisect Ivs., from the island of Ternate 

 in the Malay Archipelago, listed abroad. It is allied to 

 Areca, from which it differs in having more stamens (9), 

 in having the inferior fls. on the spadix branches in 3's 

 rather than in 2's or solitary, and in other technical 

 characters. The species is M. paniculata, Scheff. 

 Lvs. terminal, unequally pinnatisect, the segms. lanceo- 

 late and double-toothed and mostly many-nerved: fls. 

 small, in double-branched spadices: fr. ovoid, with 

 terminal stigma, the pericarp fleshy or fibrous. 



MISTLETOE of the Old World is Viscum album; of America, 

 Pharadendron flavescens. See, also, Loranthus. 



MITCHELLA (Dr. John Mitchell, of Virginia, one of 

 the first American botanists, correspondent of Lin- 

 naeus). Rubiacese. PARTRIDGE-BERRY. TWIN-BERRY. 

 SQUAW-BERRY. A very attractive native trailer. 



There are two species of Mitchella, one of which (M . 

 undulata, Sieb. & Zucc.) grows in Japan. The native 

 partridge-berry has small shining evergreen roundish 

 Ivs., sometimes marked with white lines, and bright 

 scarlet berries, often borne in 

 pairs, which remain all winter. 

 This plant can be easily collected, 

 and is also procurable from deal- 

 ers in hardy plants. It thrives 

 under evergreen trees, forming 

 mats. Little pans with fruiting 

 plants are often sold by florists in 

 midwinter, particularly about 

 Christmas time. The fls., which 

 are borne in spring, are small, 

 white, with pinkish throats, and 

 are fragrant. The berries are edi- 

 ble, but nearly tasteless. Fls. 

 twin, the ovaries united into one; 

 calyx 4-toothed; corolla funnel- 

 shaped, 4-lobed; lobes spreading, 

 densely bearded inside, valvate in 

 the bud : fr. a 2-eyed berry or dou- 

 ble berry, red (rarely white), per- 

 sisting through the winter. 



2379. Variegation in 

 Miscanthus sinensis. 

 At the left, variegatus; 

 middle, zebrinus? 

 right, gracillimus. 



