134 



HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



Mimosa. Sensitive Plant. From mimos, a mimic; 

 referring to the irritability of the lem 

 imitating animal sensibility. .Linn. Potygamta- 

 M.^n-cia. Nat.Ord. Rtki<;.<: 



To this genus belongs the Sensitive Plant, ot 

 which there may be said to be three species, the 

 leaves of all of which shrink to the touch, viz. : 

 M. sensitiva, a native of Brazil, growing two to 

 three feet high, with pal 3 ball-like pink flowers; j 

 M. i-'tdicn, a native of Brazil, growing two to three 

 feet high, with pink flowers; and M. vista, a 

 native of the East Indies, growing about two 

 feet high, with pale yellow flowers. M. pudica is 

 the true Sensitive Plant, and the one that is 

 usually grown. It is cultivated as an annual, 

 and should be raised on a hot-bed or in the 

 grean-house in spring, with the tender annu- 

 als ; and cither kept in pots throughout the 

 summer, or turned out into the open border 

 about the end of May. Many species formerly 

 included under the genus Mimosa are now re- 

 moved to Acacia; the principal distinction be- 

 tween the genera being that Mimosa has a joint- 

 ed seed-pod, which Acacia has not. Several 

 other genera have also been formed out of Mi- 

 mosa. Some of the kinds are hot-house plants; 

 others thrive in a green-house; and M. margi- 

 nata, Dec., the M. prostrata of the nurseries, is 

 sufficiently hardy to stand the winter at the 

 South. They are propagated by cuttings ; the 

 annuals by seeds. A singular fact in connection 

 with the Mimosa pudica is said to be, that if chlo- 

 roform be applied to the plant, its sensitiveness 

 is suspended until the effects of the anaesthetic 

 have passed off. 



Mimulus. Monkey Flower. From mimo, an ape 

 or actor; in reference to the ringent or gaping 

 mouth of the flower. Linn. D'iJdynamia-Ajujio- 

 sptrmia. Nat. Ord. Scrophulariacew. 



This genus is among the most ornamental of 

 our hardy and half-hardy herbaceous plants. 

 Two species have broken out into numberless 

 varieties: these are M. cardinalis and M. luteus, 

 and the former especially seems capable of 

 bringing a great deal of variety to the aid of 

 the flower-gardener. Both of these, and M. mos- 

 chatus, or Musk Plant, as it ia called, are valu- 

 able aids in that department, and are very gen- 

 erally grown for the purpose, being very prolific ' 

 of flowers. They are easil y propagated by seeds, j 

 cuttings, or division of the roots. All the spe- j 

 cieg are natives of this country, mostly of Lower 

 California, excepting M. Intea, which is a native I 

 of Chili, and was introduced in 1826. 



Mint. See M;.tl,;. 



Mirabilis. Marvel of Peru. From mirabilis, won- I 

 derful, an everything was at first considered that I 

 was sent from South America to Great Britain. 

 Linn. Pentandria-Monog'jnia. Nat. Ord. Nuctanu- 

 metes. 



The varieties of 31. Jalapn, or Marvel of Peru, 

 are valuable ornaments of the borders of the 

 flower garden. The seed should be sown in 

 May where they are to grow, or they may bo 

 sown for early blooming in a hot-bed and trans- 

 planted in May along with Dahlias and such 

 plants. Their after treatment closely resembles 

 that of the former; they should be staked and 

 tied in the same way, and on the approach of 

 winVr their large bulbous roots should be taken 

 up and stored away in dry sand until the follow- 

 ing spring, when in April they may be forwarded 

 on a moderate hot-bed, and again in May bo 

 planted into the borders of the flower garden, or 

 they may be planted at once in the border as 



MOH 



soon as danger from frost is past. The whole of 

 the genus are of one character, and may be 

 treated alike. Plants from the old roots will 

 come into flower much earlier than if grown 

 from seed. The colors of the Marvel of Peru 

 are various, one being pure white and very fra- 

 grant, while others are beautifully as well as cu- 

 riously striped. Gerarde first notices this genus 

 in 1596. 



Mirbelia. Named after C. F. B. Mirbel a physi- 

 ological botanist of Paris. Linn. JDecandria-Mo- 

 nogynia,. Nat. Ord. FabucecK. 



This genus consists of eight or nine species of 

 Australian shrubs, with handsome yellow, pur- 

 ple, or bluish flowers. A few of the species are 

 occasionally met in the more rare collections of 

 green-house plants. They are evergreens, and 

 produce their flowers in July. Propagated by 

 cuttings. Introduced in 1823. 



Missouri Currant. See Hikes. 



Mist Flower. See C'onodinum. 



Mist Tree. See lihus cotinus. 



Mistletoe. See Viscum album. 



Mitchella. Partridge Berry Named in honor 

 of Dr. John Mitchell, an early correspondent of 

 Linnaeus, and an excellent botanist, who resided 

 in Virginia. Linn. Teirandria-Monogynia. Nat. 

 Ord. Cinchonacece. 



M. repens, the only species, is a low, creeping 

 evergreen, widely distributed throughout the 

 United States and Canada in dry woods. The 

 flowers are white and fragrant, the fruit is scar- 

 let and edible, but nearly tasteless, and remains 

 on during the winter. The Partridge is very 

 fond of it, whence the local name. 



Mitraria. From mitra, a initer ; referring to the 

 seed-pod. Linn. Didynamia-Angiospermia. Nat. 

 Ord. Gesneracece. 



M. coccinea, the sole representative of this ge- 

 nus, is a low-growing shrubby plant, native of 

 the island of Chiloe. Its leaves are small, oppo- 

 site, or sometimes trifoliate. The flowers are 

 solitary, and of a bright scarlet color. It is a 

 very beautiful plant for the green-house, or for 

 planting out during the summer. Propagated 

 by cuttings. Introduced in 1848. 



Moccasin, Flower. The popular name of our na- 

 tive Oypripediums, from the fancied resemblance 

 of the flower to a moccasin or slipper. 



Mock Orange Flower. See PhUadelphus. 



Mock Orange. See Cacurbita. 



Modecca. The East Indian name. Linn. Dioeda- 

 Pentandria. Nat. Ord. Papciyacece. 



A genus of evergreen climbing shrubs resem- 

 bling Passion Flowers, natives of tropical Asia 

 and Africa. The flowers are small and greenish 

 white. Propagated by cuttings. 



Modiola. From modiolus, the nave of a wheel; 

 referring to the formation of the seed-vessel. 

 Linn. Monadelphia-Polygynia. Nat. Ord. Malva- 

 ceoe. 



A genus of annuals and herbaceous perennials 

 allied to the Mallow. They are mostly uninter- 

 esting plants, with a low, creeping habit, and 

 purple or crimson flowers. Natives of the 

 Southern States and Brazil. 



Mohria. Named after M. Mohr, a German botan- 

 ist. Linn. Cryptogamia-l'ilices. Nat. Ord. Poly- 

 podiacece. 



A genus of South African Ferns, consisting of 

 but one species, M. thurifraya, a beautiful Fern, 

 with the general appearance of iroodsi* obtusa. 

 It makes a splendid specimen plant, and maybe 

 grown in a cool green-house. Propagated by 

 seed. 



