998 MEDICAGO 



pods slightly pubescent, with two oi- three spirals. Eu. 

 — Xow widely cult., particularly iu dry resions, as a 

 hay and pasture, being to the West what red clover is 

 to the Northeast. See Alfalfa. A hardier and drought- 

 resistiug race (known as rar. Turkestinioa, Hort. ) was 

 introduced from central Asia in 1898 by N. E. Hansen, 



an Cucumber Root. 



. 997.) 



under the auspices of the U. S. Dept. Agric. (see Han- 

 sen, Amer. Agric. Feb. 24, 1900; Circular 25, Division of 

 Agrostology, U. S. Dept. Agric). 



AA. Fls. yellow. 



B. Plant annual and herbaceous. 



lupulina, Linn. Black or Hop Medick. NoNEsncH. 



Diffuse, the branches often rooting and becoming 2-3 



ft. long, deep-rooted, and difttcult to pull up; plant gla- 



MEDINILLA 



brous or slightly pubescent : Itts. oval to orbicular, 

 toothed: stipules broad and toothed: Us. small, light 

 yellow, in pedunculate heads : fr. nearly glabrous, 

 spiral, becoming black. Eu. — Extensively "naturalized. 

 Has the appearance of 

 a clover. The yellow 

 clovers with which it 

 is likely to be con- 

 founded have larger 

 heads, which soon be- 

 come dry and papery, 

 and the stipules are en- 

 tire. It is sometimes 



used as a forage or hay \ Mxlal J\ 



plant. Of no ornamen- 

 tal value. 



prostrita.Jacq. Stem ^^^^^^^^^2 

 prostrate: Ifts. linear, 

 dentate at the apex: 

 stipules linear- subu- 

 late : pod glabrous, spi- 

 rally contorted, 2- 

 seeded, black. S. Eu. 

 — Advertised as an or- 

 namental plant. M.ele- 

 gans, a name for a low, 

 yellow-fld. species, is 

 also in the trade; it i^ ^^^ 

 may be any one of 4 or 



soutellita, Mill. Snails. Erect or spreading, soft- 

 pubescent: Ifts. broadly obovate or the upper ones 

 broadly oblong, prominently toothed: stipules falcate, 

 toothed at the base: fls. small, solitary or nearly so: 

 pod large and prominently reticulated, K in. across, 

 like a snail shell. Eu.— Grown for the odd snail-like 

 pods, which are used as surprises. See the article Cat- 



:: { fj 



erp: 



liar 



BB. Plant perennial and irondij. 

 arbbrea, Linn. Tube Alfalfa. Moon Trefoil. Two 

 to 8 ft. tall, with hard black wood: Ifts. oval to obovate, 

 light green, toothed at the top : stipules linear-acute, 

 entire: fls. orange-yellow, in rather loose, axillary, pe- 

 duncled clusters: pod spiral, 2-3-seeded. S. Eu. L.B.C. 

 14:1379. — Offered as an ornamental plant in S. Calif. 

 L. H. B. 

 MEDICK. See MecUcago. 



MEDINtLLA (after Jos4 de Medinilla y Pineda, 

 governor of the Ladrones). Melastotndeete. A genus of 

 98 species of tropical plants, mostly from the East 

 Indies and Pacific islands. M. magnifica is one of the 

 most gorgeous tropical plants in cultivation, and one of 

 the most desirable for amateurs who have hothouses. 

 It is a native of tlif Philippines. It has handsome 



1, .■..;,,!, .Imimi, ;. I,:,i1m iv n,li:.-.. ;mm1 r,,r:il nM. n-petalod 



n , ,. ^ , : ,' : . ,,.■.. , ; ■. 1 .,, ■...i,„^ in p,-iHlu- 



1.- i. : ,;,.■, ...,:,, , i,n,i, |,„i,i;. and 



fl, ;,!.• |.ii,ki.,l., .ii,,i U,,. .-^.nn- .,.l..i- ImKfs the large, 

 sht)\\y bracts, which arc sometimes 4 in. long. Hooker 

 says: "Its most beautiful state is, perhaps, before the 

 full perfection of the fls., when the large imbricated 

 bracts begin to separate and allow the buds to be par- 

 tially seen. As the expansion of the blossoms advances, 

 the upper bracts fall off, but the lower ones remain and 

 become reflexed." This truly magnificent plant flowers 

 copiously when only 2 or 3 ft. high, and a large well- 

 kept specimen in flower is a sight that is never to be 

 forgotten. The numerous long, bent, purple anthers, 

 with their yellow filaments, form an additional feature 



Mc( 



inilla is distinguished from allied genera (none 

 ch has garden value) chieflv bv the curious ap- 

 ,'es of the stamens. The stamens arc 8, 10 or 12, 

 terior connective, 2-liitieil or 2-spurred, the pos- 



