MALOPE, Nat. Orel. Malvaceie. 



ALOPE differs from the Mallow, botanically, principally in the 

 shape of the capsules, and their arrangement, but to the florist th- 

 principal difference is in the su- 

 perior size and beauty of the Mai- 

 ope flower. The only varieties we 

 would recommend "for culture are 

 M. grandiflora, a bright purplish 

 flower, more than three inches 

 across and M. grandiflora alba, 

 pure white, and about two inches. 

 The Malope is a strong growing 

 plant, three feet in height. Seed 

 may be sown under glass, and then 

 plants will bloom very early ; or in the open ground, with a later, but quite as strong a growth. 



MARIGOLD, (Tagetes,) Nat. Ord. Composites. 



Marigold, or Tagetes, as the French and African Marigolds are called, are so well known that 

 no general description will be necessary, as they have been cultivated for more than two hundred 



years. The French Marigold, no doubt, came 

 from Peru, or some part of South America, 

 while the name of the African indicates its 

 true origin. Both are tall, coarse plants, the 

 African being the more robust, often reaching 

 more than two feet in height. The flowers 

 large, some being four inches across, double, 

 in color yellow, orange, and brown. There 

 are several dwarf varieties, growing only from 

 six inches to a foot in height. A comparatively new variety, signata pumila, makes a beautiful 

 plant, almost a perfect ball, a foot or more in diameter, and covered with hundreds of single 

 yellow flowers, as shown in the engraving. The leaves are finely cut, almost fern-like, and the 

 plant continues to increase in beauty until frost. 



MARTYNIA, Nat. Ord. Pedaliacete. 



The Martynias are coarse, robust, hardy annuals, of a spreading habit, requiring at least three 

 feet of space to perfect their growth. They are natives of Louisiana, Texas, Mexico, and farther 

 South. The engraving gives a front view of the flower, which is 

 tubular, and about an inch in length. The colors are yellow, white 

 and purple, and one variety, formosa, is sweetly fragrant. The 

 seed - pods are very curi- 

 ously formed, as will be 

 seen by the little engrav- 

 ing, and they grow six 

 inches or more in length ; 

 the variety called probo- 

 scidea having the largest 



pods, and these, 



c largi 

 wnen 



about two-thirds grown and quite tender, are much prized for pickles. 



MEBICAGO, Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



There are several varieties of Medicago more or less cultivated for their curious seed-pod.-.. 

 These we have never thought worthy of description in the 

 GUIDE, as the flowers are by no means beautiful ; yet there is 

 considerable demand for the seed-pods by those who use them for 

 ^ e mam 'f act;ure of rustic picture frames, and other rustic work. 

 We, therefore, give engravings of two of the best, one called 

 Snail, and the other, Bee-hive, or Hedge-hog; of the appropriateness of these names we leave 

 our readers to judge. 



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