fld.), »im1 M. alba, hr.v. i wliit.-il.l. i, lia\.- l.r.-,„nc 

 ivecds aL.Tig niailsi.lrs ami in \va>tc jihu-.-s. 



The latter, M. alha, is tlio commoner. It is an erect 

 herb, often higher than a man, flowering abundantly in 

 spring and early summer. It is biennial. It is said to 

 prefer soils rich in lime, and it thrives on poor and dry 

 soils. Under the name of Bokhara clover and sweet 

 clover, it is grown somewhat as a forage plant. Cattle 

 come to like it for grazing, particularly if turned onto 

 it early in the season, before other herbage is attractive. 

 It may also be cut for hay, particularly the second 

 year. About 10 lbs. of seed is required per acre. It is 

 au excellent bee plant. L^ jj^ ]5_ 



MELlSSA (Greek, bee; because the bees are fond of 

 Balm). Liibihtie. About 8 species of hardy perennial 

 herbs from Europe and western Asia. M. officinalis is 

 Balm (which see), a sweet herb, with white or pale 

 yellow fls. A variegated form is cult, for ornament. 

 It has silvery \^]:;^ hiar] ihl-, M. i:,t„vina, Benth.= 

 Calamintha I' il i lidit purple fls., 



and may be ti.l i i > 

 thecalyx beinL: t'iii-:< o ^r L-itiii"! 

 have dentate l\s.: whorls tew-ii 



Hs. whi 



a 11.1 officinalis by 

 itiii.iu- ai ihe base. Melissas 

 ew-iiii.. iiix, axillary, secund: 

 Lilla tube recurved-ascending 



MELOCACTUS (melon-cactus, referring to the shape 

 of the plant bodj ) Cacticeo' Stems globose or ovoid 

 with vertical ribs crowned at maturity with a cepha 

 hum —a prolongation of the axis denseh covered with 

 small tubercles imbedded in wool and bt uing in then 

 a\ils small flowers and 1 in 1 li iluti tli q 



pcarinceof an Eclnnoi i un i iii t II \ i '\I umnill lu i 



1389. Melocactus communis (Xl-5). 



communis, la 

 areolae nearly I 

 curved, subiilai 

 hemispherical. 

 height of 8 n 

 pierced by niai 

 fr. % in. Ion:;, - 

 flower, red, \\ - 

 Head," B.M, :;i 



89. Ribs 10-20, acute: 

 pines 8-11, straight or 

 ephalium at first low. 



MELON. See Muskmeloti and Watermelon : also 

 CitniUus &m\ Cucumia. M. Fapaw, See Caricti I'apat/a. 

 M, Shrub. See Solanum muricatum. Chinese Preserv- 

 ing Melon is Benincasa. 



MELdTHHIA (probably a name for a bryoiiy-liko 

 j.laiit; III. Inn is (treek for apple, which may rei'er to the 

 sliape of ihe fruit), Cucurbitdcea. About .54 species of 

 sleiiiler herbaceous vines, climbing or trailing;, aniiuiil 

 or perennial, with small yellow or wliii. il- , i 'h 1 in the 

 warmer parts of the world. Three 1 i n lo 



the trade as M. scabra, Mukia nfu/., r 'imie. 



suavis, the last being perhaps tin- nr-i I m -r ihreo 

 are slender, but rapid-growing, ljaii-iiain\ , annual 

 elimliers, which may be grown indoor,s in winter, but 

 preferably outdoors in summer for covering unsightly 

 oli.jeets. They are presumably more attractive in fruit 

 than in flower. 



The latest monographer, Cogniaux in DC. Mon. Phan. 

 Vol. a, 1881, makes three sections of the genus. M. 

 seabra belongs to the first, M. punctata to the second 

 and M. Maderaspatana to the third. M. punctata has 

 sensitive tendrils. 



Section I. Eumelotheia. Fls. usually monoecious, 

 males mostly racemose ; anthers subsessile: fr. mostly 

 with long and slender peduncles: seeds usually not 

 margined. 



Section II. Solena. Fls. mostly dioecious, males 

 corymtiose; anthers borne on rather long filaments, the 

 eiuineftive not produced : fr. mostly short-peduncled : 

 s.a.N mostly imirgined. 



Sraiioii III. MuKiA. Fls. moncecious, males elus- 

 ion 'I; .iniloi- sulisessile, the connective apiculate: fi-. 

 su)i~i s-ih. ; SI L- 1.1s margined, usually pitted. 



8cS.bra, Nanil, Lvs. rigid, entire or acutely 5-lobed ; 

 tenilrils iinhranehed: anthers roundish, with a wide con- 

 iie.tive, the eells straight, not plicate : fr. ovoid or ovoid- 

 olilon^', i.litiise, :i-celled, rather large (1 in. long, yi in. 

 thic-ki, with broad parallel stripes of white and green. 

 Mexieu. 



punctata, Cogn. (PiUgyne sudvis, Schrad.). Lvs. 

 niembruiniu.s, cordate, angled or slightly 3-5-lobed, 

 wiiite-siiotted above, pilose, short-hairy or scabrous be- 

 low, margin remotely denticulate: fr. brown, lightly 

 |iitte.l, about 3 lines thick : seeds small, about 2 lines 

 Ini^', strongly compressed. S. Africa.— Int. 1890 by 

 llen.l.rson & Co. as the Oak-leaved Climber. Melothria 

 liKiii-liita is a beautiful climbing herbaceous perennial, 

 lietter known as Pilogyne suavis, and sometimes called 

 Zehiieria suavis. Even when protected, it is too tender 

 to stand the northern winters. It blooms in clusters; 

 fls. small, white and star-shape, with a strong musk fra- 

 grance: lvs. green, small and glossy. Being a very 

 rapid grower, it is desirable for covering verandas or 

 for house culture. It will .low. 11 in any part of a living 

 room where it has liL^ht. It will grow as much as 16 

 feet high in one sumna i- l,v having a liberal supplv of 

 water every day ami laini.l manure once a week. After 

 growing outdoors it .an la- lut il..wn to r. inch.'s, potted 

 and taken into tin' lion-,,, for Un- winti-r. In lli.' sjiring 

 it can be cut back, auain lilam.al ..nt ami it will ilo wa-11. 

 The roots can almost In- .•all.. I tiilieron-, ami .am bo 

 kept dormant during' tin- w iiii.r, the saim- as Dahlias, 



Maderaspitana, Cogn. (Miilna scahrilla, Am. \. Lvs. 

 sealirous or sliort-hairv beneath : fr. small, globose : 

 seeils pitted. Trop. AsiaandAfr.-" Fruits reddish when 

 ripe." J.M.TI,orburn,S;Co. James ViCK and W. M. 



MENlSCIUM (Greek, a crescent; referring to the 

 shape of iln- soril. P'lh/podidcea. A small genus of 



l.-in^. stout: lvs. 2-4 ft. 

 : lanna. 1-4 in. wide, 

 il- sli:;liilv pubescent; 

 :-12 transverse arches. 

 L, M, rN'DF.RWOon, 



