M O N 



M O R 



MONKEY-FLOWER. See Mimulus, 



MONKEY's-BREAD. See Adansonja. 



MONK's-HOOD. Sec Acokitum. 



MONK's-RIiaBARB. See Rumex. 



MONSONfA, a genus containing plants of 

 ihe herbaceous under-shrubby biennial and per- 

 ennial kinds, for the green-house. 



It belongs to the class and order Moiiadtlphia 

 Dodecandria, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Gru'nuiles. 



The characters are. that the calyx is a five- 

 leaved perianthium; leaflets lanceolate, awned, 

 equal, permanent: the corolla has five petals, 

 obovate, prseniorse - toothed, loiiger than the 

 calyx, inserted into the base of the pitcher of 

 stamens: the stamina have fifteen filaments, 

 united in five bodies, three in each, all connected 

 at the base, and forming a very short pitcher: 

 anthers obloiig : the pistilluin is a five-cornered 

 short germ: style awl-shaped: stigmas five, ob- 

 long : the pericarpium is a five-cornered capsule, 

 five-celled: each cell fixed to a very long, twisted, 

 terminating tail : the seeds solitary. 



The species are: 1. M. speciosa. Fine- 

 leaved Monsonia; 2. M. lobata. Broad-leav- 

 ed Monsonia ; 3. M. ouata. Undulated 

 Monsonia. 



The first has the radical leaves petloled, se- 

 veral, bininnate-quinate: leaflets linear, pinnate, 

 pinnassublanceolate : thcscapes twoorlhree, one- 

 flowered, a span high, twice as long as the leaves, 

 havins; in the middle a small six-leaved involucre, 

 with lanceolate leaflets ; the flower handsome : 

 in habit and fructification it bears great affinity 

 to Geranium, but is distinguished from it by 

 having the appearance of Anemone, and by the 

 stamens and style being diflTerent. 



The second species is very like the preceding, 

 <lifl!ering in no respect from it, not even in the 

 very singular crow n of the germ ; but the leaves 

 are simple, bluntlv seven-lobed, crenate, blunt, 

 subpubescent (as the whole herb is), entirely 

 resembling those of some sorts of Geranium : 

 the fruit has a beak to it, with a very long 

 point. 



The third has the stem herbaceous, columnar, 

 .and filiform : the leaves opposite, about equal 

 in length to the foot-stalks, ovate, crenated, 

 about fiaif an inch long, with some hairs : the sti- 

 pules are two on each side, subulate : the flowers 

 are axillary, on very long foot-stalks, of a whitish 

 yellow colour; about the middle of the length 

 of the foot-stalk are two stipules : the foot-stalk 

 of the flowers is upright : when bearing the 

 fruit it is deelinale-ereet from the stipules, onc- 

 flowercd. 



All these plants are natives of tie C;ipc; the 

 two first being perennial, flowering in April 



and May, and the third biennial, flowering in 

 August. 



Ctilliire. — The first sort rarely, if ever, ripen- 

 ing seeds in this climate, must be increased by 

 cuttings of the root, which should be planted 

 in pots of good mould, and plunsed in a lan- 

 h<it-bcd, watering them occasionallv, when in a 

 little time buds appear on the to!)sof the cuttings 

 which are left out of the ground. Tliev should 

 be treated ashardv green-house plants, orlic after- 

 wards removed into separate pots, and shel- 

 tered under a good garden frame in the winter 

 season. 



AiUJ the second sort should be raised in the 

 same manner. 



But the third should be raised from seeds, 

 which must be sown in the early spring in pots 

 of light earth, and plunged in a mild hot-bed. 

 When the plants are come up, they should be 

 removed into other pots separately, and be ma- 

 naged as the other kinds. 



Jhev afford variety among other potted plants. 



MOON TREFOIL. See Mkdicago. 



MOILEA, a genus furnishing plants of the 

 bulbous-tuberous-rooted herbaceous flowering 

 perennial kinds. 



It belongs to the class and order Triandria 

 Monogynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 EnsalcB. 



The characters arc: that the calyx has iwo- 

 valved spathes : the corolla six-petalled : three 

 inner parts spreading; the rest as in Iris : the 

 stamina consist of three short filaments : anthers 

 oblong: the pistillum is an inferior germ : style 

 simple: stigmas three, bifid : the pericarpium 

 is a three-cornered capsule, three-grooved, three- 

 celled : the seeds very many, round. 



The species cultivated are : 1 . M. Iiiopetala, 

 Iris-petalled Moraea ; 2. M. Iridioides, Iris- 

 like Sword-shaped Morasa. 



The first sort has two varieties, the first of 

 which has the bulb with the scales connected at 

 the sides a little compressed, but distinct at the 

 base : with ten compressed teeth, and as many 

 alternately shorter : the skin smooth, and dark- 

 coloured : the culm branched : branches three 

 or four : the leaves three or four, aw! -shaped, 

 pale-green, from five to seven or eieht inches in 

 length, and about half an inch broad, terminat- 

 ing wiih three angles ; the elumcs two-valved, 

 subglobular, Iwo-f^owered : the flowers are white: 

 the seeds of a reddish rust colour. It is a native 

 of the Cape, flowering in June. 



The second has the scales connected at the 

 base, bifid, depressed, but not compressed : the 

 glume two-valved, two-i'owercd : the flowers 

 two, seldom more than two on a scape : the 

 roots are fibrous, like those of the Ilag-leavcd 



