MELIA 



MELICOCCA 



2025 



umbrella shape seldom varies; hence it is supposed by 

 some to be a disliiiel sjiecies. 



sempervirens, Swartz uU. Azciiarach var. scmpt'rm'r- 

 fN.--. liinn.). A low-jirowinn tree with Ivs. deeply incised, 

 the Ifts. the shape of those of M . Azcdarach: Hs. in axil- 

 larj- panicles, sm;ill, light lilac, fraj^rant, in constant 

 succession. A grcenJiouse species, and a beautiful tree 

 of distinct habit in S. Fla., where it is rapid-growing, 

 holding its Ivs. well into winter and blooming at inter- 

 vals throughout the year. It is there prone to send up 

 suckers and to pro]), itself imduly from seeds. M. mm- 

 pcrrirciis, Swartz, is a witlesprcad plant in the W. 

 Indies and elsewhere. U.K. (543. 



floribunda, Carr. (.1/. Azcdarach var. floribunda, 

 Morr. M. japdnica var. sempcrfloren^, Makino). By 

 some considereil to be a precocious and very floriferous 

 fonn of .1/. Azedararh, but the plant grown in thi.s 

 countrj' under this name and as AI. sempcrflorens (and 

 which is probably the same a.s Carriere's M . floribunda) 

 is a bushy species, not tree-like, and should receive 

 further study. In S. Fla. it is a ''small awkward shrub, 

 never reaching above 10 ft. and seldom branching." In 

 S. Calif, it rarely reaches above S ft. and suckers con- 

 tinually; by cutting down to the ground the sts. that 

 have bloomed, it can be had in flower nearly all the 

 year. M . floribunda is said to begin to bloom at 1-2 ft., 

 and to flower the second and third years from seed. The 

 l/ts. are lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate rather than 

 ovate, verv' graduallv taper-pointed. Perhaps Japane.se. 

 R.H. 1872:470. B.H. 30:176. 



AA. Lvs. once-pinnate. 

 Azadirichta, Linn. (Azadirdchtalndica, A. Juss., and 

 by some recent writers kept generically distinct). Large 

 tree, sometimes .50 ft.: Ivs. broad, pinnate, with 9-15 

 lance-acuminate, oblique, more or less serrate Ifts. : fls. 

 white, fragrant, verj- small, 5-merous; petals cUiate: 

 drupe jT-?4in. long, oblong, the seeds yielding oil: 

 foliage crowded near the ends of the branches. India. — • 

 Not hardy in the Cent. S. 



M. japdnica, Don, is by Hemsley (Fl. China) referred to ^I. 

 Azedarach; M. japdnica. Hassk., is by some referred to M. .\zadi- 

 rachta, but is perhaps distinct; apparently these plants are not in 

 the trade. L H. B.f 



MELIANTHtrS (Greek, honey-flawer). Melian- 

 lliace^; formerly included in Sapindacese. Evergreen 

 shrubs of South Africa, to be grown out-of-doors in 

 southern California and similar climates. 



Leaves alternate, stipulate, odd-pinnate; Ifts. un- 

 equal-sided: fis. in a.xillary and terminal racemes, 

 secreting honey plentifully; calyx laterally compressed, 

 with or without a sac-like protuberance at the base, 

 with a nectar-bearing gland within; petals 5, the ante- 

 rior one abortive; stamens 4, didynamous. M. hima- 

 layanus, Wall., is M. major, which has been intro. into 

 S. Asia. — ^About a half-dozen species, strong-scented. 



A. LfLs. entire. 

 pectinatus, Harv. (M. Trimenianus, Hook. f.). Rigid 

 shrub, with densely set pectinate-pinnate lvs. on .short 

 twigs, the rachis winged: Ifts. R-l6 pairs, linear, entire, 

 with revolute margins, white-tomentose beneath: fis. 

 dull red, in more or less whorled racem&s, the peduncles 

 purple; petals 4, long-clawed; upper calyx-segm. cus- 

 pidate. B.M. 6.5.57. G.W. 4, p. 39. 



AA. Lfts. toothed or .•serrate. 

 B. Calyx gitifxtu.^ at 6a.sc. 

 major, Linn. St. flexuous, glabrous, sometimes 10 

 ft. or more in height, with a widely creeping root: lvs. 

 gray, a foot or more long, the upper ones smaller; stip- 

 ules grown together into one large intra-axillary piece, 

 attached to the lower part of the petiole; Ifts. 9-11, 3-4 

 in. long, 2 in. wide: racemes densely fld., 1 ft. or more 

 in length; bracts ovate, acuminate: fls. red-brown, 1 in. 

 long: caps, papery, 4-lobed at the apex, 1-1 J^ in. long; 

 seeds 2 in each cell, black and shining. Cape. G.C. III. 



36:142. B.R.4.5. K.II. lS(i7, p. 131; 1913, j). 413. G.W. 

 4, p. 37. — .\n excellent foliage plant. M. inltrmedius, 

 Hort., is a hybrid between this species and M. comosus. 



nn. Calyx not conspicuously gibbous at base. 



minor, Linn. Shrub with branchlcts and infl. some- 

 what canescent: Ivs. 5-6 in. long; stipules 2, subulate, 

 lateral free; Ifts. 1 }'2-2 in. long, 6-10 lines wide: racemes 

 ()-12 in. long, subterminal; fls. dull red: caps, obtuse at 

 each end, scarcely 4-lobcd, 8 lines long. 



comdsus, Vahl. Shrub with grayish white branches: 

 lvs. 4-6 in. long; Ifts. lanceolate, serrate, pubescent 

 above but becoming glabrate, white-tomentose be- 

 neath : fls. orange inside, red-spotted outside and green 

 at base, alternate in nodding racemes; petals oblong or 

 spatulate: caps, oval, 4-winged. B.M. 301 (asM. minor). 



M. B. COTJLSTON. 



L. H. B.t 

 MELICA (old Italian name for Sorghum, from 

 met, honey). Graminese. Melic Grass. Slender- 

 stemmed perennials: spikelets 2- to several-fld., 

 rather large, often richly colored or with a pearly 

 luster, in narrow or open panicles. — Species about 35, 

 throughout temperate zones. Several beautiful native 

 species of U. S., but not known in cult. M. ciliala, 

 Linn., of Eu., with a pale spike-like panicle of silky 

 spikelets is sometimes cult, for ornament, and M. 

 nolacea, Cav., a Chilean species with graceful panicles 

 of violet-tinged broadly winged spikelets, has been 

 recently intro. A. S. Hitchcock. 



2349. Melicocca bijuga. (Sprays X H) 



MELICOCCA (Greek, honey berry, referring to the 

 taste of the fniit). Sapindacear- . Two species of tropical 

 fruit trees, natives of America. 



Leaves abruptly pinnate: racemes divided; calyx 

 4-parted; .segms. imbricated; petals 4; stamens 8; di.sk 

 coiniilete; stigma peltate, sub-sessile; ovary 2-celled: 

 berry 1-2-seedcd. — S. Amer., perhaps native also in 

 W. Indies. 



bij&ga, Linn. Spanish Lime or Genip. Fig. 2349. 

 Lfts. in 2 pairs, eUiptical or elliptic-lanceolate, entire. 



