270 DICTIONARY OF POPULAR NAMES MAT 



the air with fragrance ; on throwing fragments of the leaves into 

 water the oil is expelled with such force as to cause them to 

 jerk and twirl as if by spontaneous motion. >S^. Molle is widely 

 diffused. It is found extending from Chili northward to Cali- 

 fornia, wdiere it is called the Pepper Tree, its berries having the 

 taste of common black pepper. It has been introduced and is 

 now common in Italy and other parts of South Euro]3e ; but 

 neither it nor the Lentisk is sufficiently hardy to live in the 

 open air in this country. 



Mat Grass. {See MaiTam.) 



Mats. — Cocoa-nut (see Cocoa-nut) ; Chinese and Indian {see 

 Cyperus) ; Garden or Eussian {see Lime Tree) ; Door {see Hemp). 



Mat^. {See Paraguay Tea.) 



Matico {Piper angustifolmm), better known as Arfanfhe 

 elongata, a jointed shrub of the Pepper family (Piperace^e), 

 native of Peru. It is an erect-growing species with lanceolate 

 rouoh leaves, which are used for stanchinsj the bleedinf]^ of 

 wounds. It is known in South America by the name of Soldier's 

 Herb. 



Mawseed. {See Poppy, White.) 



May, a popular name for the flowers of Cratcegus Oxyacan- 

 tha. {See Hawthorn.) 



May Apple {Podopliyllic7n peltatum), also known by the 

 name of Duck's - foot, a perennial plant of the Buttercup 

 family (Eanunculacese), native of the United States ; abundant 

 in damp, shady woods. It has long, shield-like, lobed leaves and 

 white flowers; its fruit is egg-shaped in form, and about the 

 size of a small lemon ; the root and leaves of the plant are acrid 

 and poisonous, but the pulp of the fruit is less so, and contains 

 active medicinal qualities, being in repute as a substitute for 

 calomel. 



Meadow Saffron. {See Colchicum.) 



Medick, also called Lucerne {Medicago sativa), a perennial, 

 tall, slender, clover -like plant, considered to be a native of 

 England, but rare in a wild state. It is, however, extensively 

 cultivated as a cattle food. The Hop Medick {M. Lupidina), so 



