130 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



MAU 



into small pots, and grown on until it is time 

 to plant out tender annuals. They are admira- 

 ble for any sunny situation where a delicate 

 climbing plant is required. They commence to 

 flower in August, and continue until after there 

 has been six to eight degrees of frost. By tak- 

 ing the roots up in the fall, potting, and plac- 

 ing them in a cool green-house or warm cel- 

 lar, they can be planted out again in spring, 

 and will come into flower much earlier than 

 plants grown from seed. There are two erect 

 growing species from California that we have not 

 yet had an opportunity to test. The genus is, 

 allied to Antirrhinum, to which the flowers have 

 a great resemblance. The Maurandya is also 

 propagated by cuttings. Introduced in 1796. 



Mauritia. Named after Prince Maurice of Nas- 

 sau. Linn. Dicecia-Hexandria. Nat. Ord. Pal- 

 macecK. 



A genus of Palms peculiar to tropical South 

 America. They grow to an immense size, some 

 species attaining the height of a hundred or a 

 hundred and fifty feet. They bear a crown of 

 enormous fan-shaped leaves, from among which 

 the pendulous flower-spikes are produced. The 

 species are abundant on the banks of the Ama- 

 zon, Rio Negro, and Orinoco Rivers. They 

 usually occupy swampy tracts of ground, which 

 are at times completely inundated, and present 

 the appearance of forests rising out of the water. 



Mawseed. See Papaver swnniferum. 



Maxillaria. From maxilla?, the jaws of an insect, 

 referring to a resemblance of the columns and 

 labellum. Linn. Gynandria-Monandria. Nat. Ord. 

 Orchidacece. 



An extensive genus of epiphytal Orchids. Many 

 of the species are very beautiful, and of delicious 

 fragrance; others, on account of their small 

 flowers, are not worthy of cultivation. Some of 

 them have their flowers hanging down from the 

 roots, and are grown in baskets of moss or on 

 pieces of cork, or hung by wires to the rafters 

 of the Orchid house. All of them are adapted 

 to the cool house. 



Maximiliana. Named after Prince Maximilian. 

 Linn.Polygamia-Moncecia. Nat. Ord. Palmacece. 

 M. regia, the only known species, is an immense 

 growing Palm of the Amazon. Its trunk often 

 exceeds a hundred feet in height, and is crown- 

 ed with leaves from thirty to fifty feet long, and 

 its woody spathes, when open, frequently meas- 

 ure as much as five or six feet in length, by 

 about two feet in width, tapering to a long 

 point or beak. These spathes are so hard that, 

 when filled with water, they will stand the fire, 

 and are sometimes used by the Indians as cook- 

 ing utensils, but more frequently as baskets for 

 carrying their stores. 



May Apple. See PodophyUum. 



May Flower. See Epigaia. 



May Weed. The popular name of the genus 

 Hondo. 



Meadow Beauty. See Ehexia. 



Meadow Grass. See Poa pratensis. 



Meadow Rue. See Thalidrum. 



Meadow Saffron. See Colchicum. 



Meadow Sweet. See Spiraea. 



Meconopsis. From mekon, the poppy, and opsis, 

 like. Z&m. Polyandria-Monogynia, Nat. Ord 

 Papaveracea:. 



A genus of hardy herbaceous perennials 

 common in Wales, where it is known as Welsh 

 Poppy. It is a showy plant, growing about one 

 loot high, with bright green pinnate, hairy 

 leaves, slender stems, and large terminal, re- 



MEL 



markably short-lived flowers, which droop 

 -while in bud, and are a delicate sulphur yellow 

 color. Propagated by seeds or by division. 



Medeola. Indian Cucumber Root. Named after 

 Medea, the sorceress. Linn. He.mndria-Triyynia. 

 Nat. Ord. Trilliacece. 



M. Virg'mica, the only species, is a hardy her- 

 baceous perennial, common from Virginia 

 southward. It has a creeping, tuberous root, 

 tasting like a Cucumber, from which the plant 

 derives its local name, Indian Cucumber. It 

 has an erect, simple stem, with sessile leaves 

 produced in whorls, with a terminal umbel of 

 small greenish-yellow flowers. 



Medicago. Jledick. From mediko, a name given 

 by Dioscorides to a Median Grass. Linn. Diadel- 

 phia-Decandria. Nat. Ord. Fabacece. 



A genus of weedy-looking plants, with yellow 

 pea-flowers, which are generally single or in 

 small clusters. The seed-pods of many of the 

 species are very curious, some resembling snails, 

 others hedgehogs, and others bee-hives. They 

 were formerly found in seedsmen's catalogues 

 tinder these various names, and recommended 

 to garnish dishes of meats, etc. They are now 

 seldom met, as the plants to which they belong 

 are found not worth growing. M. saliva is the 

 well-known Alfalfa, or Lucerne, now extensively 

 used in California and many other parts of the 

 world as a forage crop. It is particularly fitted, 

 from its deep-rooting properties, for dry, barren 

 soils. In some sections of California five crops 

 are cut annually, and at this writing it is con- 

 sidered the most valuable forage crop of the 

 State. 



Medick. See Medicago. 



Medinilla. Named after J. de Medinilla y Pineda, 

 Governor of the Marianne Islands. Linn. Decan- 

 dria-Monogynia. Nat. Ord. Melastomacece. 



A small genus of East Indian evergreen shrub- 

 by plants, with large fleshy leaves, and large 

 panicles of white or rose-colored flowers. The 

 species generally met in our green-houses is M. 

 magnified, a plant that truly' deserves the name. 

 Its enemy in the green-house is the mealy bug, 

 which is very sure to find it. It requires con- 

 siderable heat to grow it in perfection. Propa- 

 gated by cuttings. Introduced in 1848. 



Medlar. See M espilus. 



Megaclinium. From megas, large, and kline, a 

 bed ; referring to the axis or rachis on which 

 the flowers are borne. Linn. Gynandria-Monan- 

 dria. Nat. Ord. Orchidacece. 



A small genus of epiphytal Orchids of tropical 

 Western Africa, remarkable for the curious flat- 

 tened, sword-shaped flower stalks, upon which 

 the curious little flowers are seated in a straight 

 row along the middle on both sides. The flow- 

 ers are of a greenish or yellowish brown, spotted 

 more or less with purple. Some of them have a 

 fancied resemblance to little frogs or toads, 

 whence one species has been named M. bufo. 

 They are seldom met except in large collections. 



Melaleuca. From melas, black, and leukos, white; 

 referring to the colors of the old and young 

 bark. Linn. Polyadelphia-Polyandria. Nat. Ord. 

 Myrtacece. 



The genus consists of evergreen trees and 

 shrubs, natives of Australia and the Islands of 

 the Indian Ocean. They have alternate flat or 

 cylindrical leaves, and yellowish, purple, or 

 crimson flowers, produced in axillary clusters. 

 M. cajeputi is one of the more important species, 

 the leaves of which, after fermentation, are dis- 

 tilled for the purpose of yielding the well- 



