HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



127 



MAM 



tropical countries. It often attains the size of a 

 (Child's head, and is of a yellow color. The outer 

 rind and the pulp which immediately surrounds 

 the seeds are very bitter, but the intermediate is 

 sweet and aromatic, and is eaten cut into slices 

 and steeped in wine, or made into preserves of 

 various kinds. 



Mammillaria. From mamma, the nipple; in al- 

 lusion to the small tubercles. Linn. Icosandrla- 

 Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Gadacece. 



Succulent plants, with almost globular stems 

 covered with prickles, but without leaves, the 

 flowers growing out of the stem without any 

 stalk. These plants are natives of the high table- 

 land of Mexico, where they are subject to very 

 few variations of temperature, aiid they should, 

 therefore, be kept in green-house heat all the 

 year. They are also found in Texas and Color- 

 ado. In their native country they grow in rich 

 loam, and therefore require a better soil than 

 the different kinds of Cereus and Echinocac- 

 tus, which grow among calcareous rocks, in 

 the mould formed by the deposition of vege- 

 table matter in the fissures. By attending 

 to these particulars the Mammillarias may 

 be easily grown in any situation where they 

 can be kept free from frost. When kept in 

 a room, they should be allowed as much air as 

 possible, and the dust which lodges among their 

 spines should be frequently blown off with a 

 small pair of bellows or the breath. There are 

 nearly one hundred species in this genus, and 

 nearly all confined to Mexico and South Amer- 

 ica. Propagated by offsets or by seeds. First 

 introduced from Peru in 1799. 



Mammoth Trees of California. See Sequoia. 



Mandarin Orange. See Citrus nobilis. 



Mandevilla. Named after //. J. Mandevitte, an 

 English minister at Buenos Ayres, and a botani- 

 cal collector. Linn. Pentamlria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Apocynacece. 



M. suaveolens, the only species, is a native of 

 South America, and is a desirable climber for 

 the green-house, as it is a rapid grower, and 

 produces clusters of very sweet-scented white 

 flowers during the summer. It should be al- 

 lowed to rest during winter. It is propagated 

 by cuttings of the small, stiff side shoots, taken 

 off close to the old wood. Introduced in 1837. 



Mandrake. See Podophyllum, Mandragora, and 

 ifaborosa. 



Manettia. In honor of Xavier Manetti, prefect of 

 the Botanic Garden at Florence, and author of 

 "Regnum Vegetabile," 1756. Linn. Tetrandria- 

 Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Cinchonacece. 



An elegant family of green-house climbers, 

 suitable for training over a wire trellis attached 

 to the pots in which the plants grow. The spe- 

 cies delight in a moderately warm and moist at- 

 mosphere when they are growing, and in the 

 case of having tuberous roots, like M. glabra or 

 M. cordata, are all the better for a decided drying 

 through the winter. The other species, from 

 having only fibrous roots, will not bear a reduc- 

 tion to the same extent. M. bicolor is a winter- 

 flowering plant. It should be grown freely 

 through the summer, and afterward be placed 

 in a dry, warm position to induce it to flower 

 freely, and to preserve its foliage from mildew, 

 to which it is very subject. The flowers of this 

 species are yellow and crimson; those of the 

 others are scarlet, except M. Lygistum, which has 

 pink blossoms. All the species do well here 

 planted out during summer, keeping up a con- 

 tinuous bloom. Propagated by cuttings, either 



MAN 



of the roots or shoots. Introduced from South 

 America in 1806. 



Mangel Wurzel. Beta vulgaris macrorhua. 



Mangifera. Mango Tree. From mango, the Hin- 

 doo name of the fruit, and fero, to bear. Linn. 

 Polygamia-MonoKcia. Nat. Ord. Anacardiacea;. 



M. Indica grows abundantly in India, where 

 numerous varieties are cultivated. It is also 

 grown in Brazil and the Mauritius for the fruit, 

 which is highly esteemed for its grateful acidity 

 and sweet perfume. In the tropics it is the 

 principal fruit eaten. The tree grows about 

 twenty feet high, and the fruit is produced in 

 terminal clusters. 



Manglesia. Named after Captain Mangle.*, and his 

 brother, Robert Mangle,'!, distinguished patrons 

 of botany. Linn. Tetrandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Proteacea>. 



A genus of ornamental green-house shrubs 

 from Swan River. with very small flowers of 

 little beauty. It is grown only for its beautiful 

 foliage. 



Mangosteen. See Oarcinia. 



Mango Tree. See Mangifera. 



Mangrove. See Rhizophora. 



Manicaria. From manica, a glove, referring to 

 the spathe rolled around the inflorescence or 

 flower stem. Linn. Monceda-Enneandria. Nat. 

 Ord. Palmaceoi. 



A noble genus of Palms inhabiting the tidal 

 swamps of the Lower Amazon River. M. saceifera, 

 the only species, has immense leaves, unlike 

 any others of the order, which are more or less 

 pinnated or fan-shaped ; these, on the contrary, 

 are entire, frequently growing thirty feet long 

 and from three to four in width ; and being of a 

 stiff habit, stand erect upon the summit of the 

 stout, crooked stem, which usually attains the 

 height of fifteen or twenty feet. The Indians 

 call the Palm Bussu, and its immense leaves are 

 invaluable to them for thatching their huts. The 

 fibrous spathes are also converted into useful 

 bags and caps by simply cutting round them 

 near the bottom, and pulling them off entire, 

 and afterward stretching them open as wide as 

 possible without tearing; they also supply a 

 coarse, but strong kind of cloth. On account of 

 its immense size this interesting species is rare- 

 ly met in collections. Propagated by seeds. 



Man-of-the-Earth. See Ipomcea. 



Manihot. Its Brazilian name. Linn. Moncecia- 

 Heptandria. Nat. Ord. Euphorbiacece. 



A genus of South American shrubs, largely 

 cultivated for their roots, which yield the Tapi- 

 oca of commerce, which is extracted from the 

 bitter variety, the roots of which are a virulent 

 poison. The poisonous juices are expelled by 

 pressure in the preparation. One of the species 

 has sweet, wholesome roots, that are used as 

 vegetables. 



Manna. See Alliagi, Ornus, and Tamarix. 



Manna Ash. See Ornus. 



Mantisia. Opera Girls. Named after the insect 

 Mantis, to which the flowers have been com- 

 pared. Linn. Monamlria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. 



Hot-house herbaceous evergreens from the 

 East Indies. One of the species has long been 

 grown in some countries for the singularity and 

 beauty of its flowers, which present some ap- 

 pearance of a ballet dancer, hence the popular 

 name, Dancing Girls, applied to the plant. The 

 filament and anther, with its wing-like margins, 

 represent the head and neck of the lady, the 

 long inner segments of the corolla represent the 



