•JtHM 



MAH8H.KA 



MARTIUSELLA 



In-s. like -Hvd. clover or oxalis, one species of whic^h, 

 M. quadrifdlia, Linn., is sold :\nd is also r\in wild in 

 the o:tslorn states. It is a crcopin}; jilaiit, rocitinf; in the 

 mud on the margins of |)onds and making an atlia<'tive 

 cover. The ix^tioles grow 3-;") in. tall, or taller in the 

 water, aiul bear at the apex 4 bright jireeii obcuneatc or 

 triangular Ifts. The si)oroeari>s or frs. are nearly ses- 

 sile at the ba.se of the petioles. Prop, easily by pieces of 

 the nuiners, and is likely to become a weed. The young 

 Ifts. close at ni);ht. V.n. and .\sia. Mn. t), p. 107. 

 M. Drummondii, .\. Hr. iFifi. 2:V27\ is a greenhouse 

 sfHH'ies netHlin;; moderate teniperatiu-es and pot cult. 

 with abundance of .surplus water in saucers or even set. 

 in a tank, partly ,<ubmerged. Under the best condi- 

 tions the Ion}; clover-like Iva. may reach a length of IS 

 in., iind form a very attractive plant. The stalks and 

 Ifts. are covered with whitish hairs; the .sjiores arc borne 

 in cases on separate stalks an inch or so long. 



R. C. Benedict. 



MARTINfeZIA (Rev. Dr. Baltasar Jacobo Martinez 

 Companon. archbishop of Santa F6, who sent many 

 early collections of plants from Peru). I'almacea!, tribe 

 Bactrideje. Ornamental fcather-Icaved palms, with spiny 

 ringed trunks. 



Leaves pinnate, the segms. broad, wedge-shaped, 

 alternate or grouped, the apex truncate and ragged; 

 petioles and rachis spiny, as are also the spadiccs and 

 spathes of the infl.: fls. rather small, the calyx with 

 3 segms.; stamens 6, inserted in the disk: fr. globose, 

 1-celled, orange, scarlet or rose-pink. — Species about 8. 

 Trop. Amer. G.C. IL 26:491. 



^iartinezias are beautiful palms, and make fairly 

 good house plants but their spiny character is against 

 their f>opularity. They must have a stove temperature. 

 They do not require a great aiiioimt of soil. Light 

 sandy loam, with plenty of sharp sand, is best. They 

 need abundant moisture. 

 They sometimes flower in 

 cultivation, but the four 

 kinds given below arc distinct 

 by their foliage and spines. 

 Like all armed palms, they 

 are slow to germinate, but 

 after the first or second year 

 tliey grow fairly fast. The 

 commonest and best kind is 

 M. raryolvf-folia, which has 

 fewer spines than the other 

 .species and, unlike many 

 other palms, shows its true 

 leaves at a very early stage. 

 It resembles the fish-tail 

 palms (Caryota), but the 

 leaves are a lighter green 

 and usually larger. M. erosa 

 makes a better specimen at 

 !i to feet than when small. 

 It is much more jagged at 

 the tips of the leaves. Being 

 very spiny all over, it is less 

 desir.able. M. Ldndeniana is 

 mon; like the first. The spines 

 arc longer but not very nu- 

 merous. M. (/rajiatensis is 

 of coarser habit and slower 

 growth, and desirable only 

 for large collections. (H. A. Siebrecht.) 



A. Lvs. divvied into segms. 



B. Segms. in groups. 



c. Apex of segms. S-loheA. 



caryotaefdlia, IIBK. Sts. at length SO-.W ft. high 



but u.'iually not over 6 in. thick: Ivs. few, 3-(> ft. long, 



light grw;n; Ifts. in groups, fj-12 in. long, A-i't in. wide 



at the apex : st., petioles, rachis and nerves below, densely 



2327. Marsilea Drummondii. 



clothed with long black spines: spadix about 18 in. long, 

 appearing between the Ivs. : fr. yellowish red, about J^in. 

 long. Colombia. G.C. 1872: IS'l. B.M.6S54. F.R. 2:49. 



cc. Apex of segms. ivith a point projecting from, the 

 upper margin. 



Lindeniana, Wcndl. Sts. 9-15 ft. high: pinnae in 

 o])positc groui)s of l-G, the groujjs widely separated, 

 long-wedge-sliaiH'd, 1()-14 in. long, S-H) times as long 

 ;i.s broad, with a short, i)rojecting point at the upper 

 margin, the nerves ciliate-s])iny towai\l the end; 

 pi'tiole densely (covered with grayish brown hairs, with 

 many rather large black si)incs 1-2' 2 i"- 'ongj rachis 

 is also si)iny above and below; mi<lnerve of each segrn. a 

 trifle shorter than the lower margin and spiny beneath, 

 like the rachis and lateral nerves: Ivs. dark green above, 

 lighter beneath; terminal scgm. broadest: fr. rose-red. 

 Mts. of Colombia, at an altitude of 6,000 ft. 



BB. Segms. in 2-4 pairs. 

 er6sa, Lind. Lvs. with 2-3 pairs of narrow Ifts. at 

 base and a pair of broader ones at the apex, all oblique 

 at the apex, bearing long, brown, needle-shaped spines 

 on the veins and midrib; rachis cylindrical or obtusely 

 angled, mealy, clothed with spines like those on the lvs. 

 W.Indies. G.C. 1872:1297. 



AA. Lvs. bifid at the apex. 

 granatensis, Hort. (A/, granadensis, Hort.). Lvs. 

 roundish oblong or roundish ovate, entire at the base, 

 bifid at the apex, evenly toothed along the edges; pet- 

 ioles and rachis with dark brown, needle-shaped, spread- 

 ing or reflexcd spines, } 2-I in. long. Colombia. 



M. IruncAta, Brongu. Trunk about 20 ft.: lvs. 4-5 ft. long, 

 sprcadiuK, the petiole and trunk covered with brownish black 

 spines; Ifts. smooth, prominently veined and beautifully dark 

 green. — A fine .showy Bolivian species scarcely known in the trade. 



Jabed G. Smith. 



N. TAYLOR.t 



MARXroSELLA (after K. F. Ph. von Martins, 

 German botanist, 1794-1868; traveled in Brazil 

 1817-20, wrote Historia Naturalis Palmarum and 

 started the monumental work, Flora BrasiUensis, con- 

 tinued after his death by A. W. Eichler and I. Urban). 

 Sapotacese. An evergreen small tree from Brazil with 

 large alternate serrate Ivs.: fls. small in axillary clus- 

 ters; calyx 5-, rarely 4-parted; corolla rotate, 5-6- 

 lobed; stamens 5, inserted at the base of the corolla 

 opposite to the lobes and nearly as long as the corolla; 

 sometimes with staminodes between the petals; ovary 

 5-colled with short style: fr. subglobose, 3-5-seeded; 

 . seeds compressed; cotyledons thin. CIo.sely allied to 

 Chrysophyllum which is chiefly distinguished by its 

 smaller entire lvs., the longer corolla-tube, shorter 

 stamens and the thick cotyledons, and also by the much- 

 branched habit. The only species is M. imperialis, 

 Pierre (Theophriista imperialis, Lind. Chrysophyllum 

 imperiale, Benth. & Hook.). See also p. 767, Vol. II. 

 Strict and sim])lc, to 20 ft. high or more: lvs. obovate- 

 oblong to oblong-oblanceolate, rounded at the apex, 

 .serrate with strong parallel veins, stellate-pilose beneath 

 at first, becoming gkabrous, 8 in. to 3 ft. long: fls. 

 yellowLsh green, 34in. across, pediceUed, in a.xillary 

 sessile clusters: fr. subglobo.sc, ly^ in. long, with a hard 

 thick flesh; .seeds chestnut-brown, lustrous, about 1 in. 

 long and 3,i'in. wide. Brazil. B.M. 6823. 1.11.21:184. 

 Gt. 13:4.53. — It can be grown outdoors only in frostless 

 regions; .sometimes cult, in greenhouses for its large 

 handsome foliage. It flowers v(^ry rarely in cult., flow- 

 ering first in 1885 after it had been in cult, for 40 

 years. Prop, is by seeds or by cuttings in March when 

 the new growth is starting; the upper i)art of the plant 

 is cut into as many jjieces as there are Ivs., the cuts 

 being made just below the base of the lvs.; the cuttings 

 are insert(-d in sand under glivss with bottom heat; they 

 usually take a long time to form roots. 



Ai.FiiED Rehder. 



