MAYTENUS 



of 2-ovuled. Maytenus consists of evergreen, unarmed 

 plants: Ivs. alternate, often 2-ranked, stalked, leathery, 

 serrate: fls. small, white, yellow or reddish, axillary, 

 solitary, clustered or cymose; calyx 5-cut; petals and 



MEDICAGO 



997 



1381. Maximiliana regia. 



stamens 5, the latter inserted under the disk; disk or- 

 bicular, wavy-margined: style none or columnar: cap- 

 sule leathery, loculicidally 2-3-valved. 



M. Boaria is a beautiful evergreen tree, of graceful 

 habit; in Calif. 15-25 ft. high, but in Chile said to at- 

 tain 100ft.: branchlets pendulous: Ivs. small: fls. min- 

 ute, greenish, inconspicuous: aril scarlet. Perfectly 

 hardy in Calif, as far north as San Francisco, and highly 

 valued for ornamental planting ; recommended as a 

 street and avenue tree: timber extremely hard. Propa- 

 gated readily from seeds, which are produced in abun- 

 dance, or from suckers. 



Boaria, Molina (M. CJiiUnsis, DC.). MAYTEN. Fig. 

 1382. Lvs. ovate-lanceolate, thin, glandular-serrate, 

 glabrous : fls. small, axillary, clustered, polygamous, the 

 males with 5 calyx teeth, petals and stamens: capsule 

 the size of a pea, 2-valved, 2-seeded. Chile. B.R. 



J. BURTT DAVY. 



MAZE. See Labyrinth. 



MEADOW BEAUTY. Rhexia. M. Foxtail. Alope- 

 curus pratensis (a meadow grass). M.Pink. Dianthus 

 deltoides. M. Hue. Thalictrum. M. Saffron. Colchi- 

 cui. M. Sweet. Ulmaria. M. Tulip. CalocJiortus . 



MECONOPSIS (Greek, poppy-like}. Papaveracece . 

 About 10 species of herbs, natives of the Himalayas, 

 China, Europe and western North America. The Welsh 

 Poppy, M. Cambrica, is suitable for rockeries, grows 

 about a foot high, and has rather large, pale yellow, 4- 

 petaled fls. borne in summer. The genus is nearest to 

 Argemone, but does not have prickly Ivs. Perennial or 

 rarely annual: Ivs. entire or rarely lobed or dissected: 

 fls. long-peduncled, yellow, purple or blue: ovary ovoid, 

 with a short but distinct style and a stigma of 4-6 rays. 

 J. B. Keller writes that the Welsh Poppy is of easy 

 cultivation in ordinary garden soil and sunny situation, 

 and is prop, by seed or division. 



Cambrica, Vig. WELSH POPPY. Perennial: stems 

 slender: Ivs. long-stalked, pale green, slightly hairy, 

 pinnate, dentate, with 5-7 segments. Rocky woods and 

 shady places, western Eu. G.C. III. 19:671 (a double- 

 fid, form). 



MEDEOLA (named after the sorceress Medea, for its 

 supposed great medicinal virtues). Liliacece. INDIAN 

 CUCUMBER ROOT, from the taste of the edible root. 

 This native perennial herb has 2 whorls of Ivs. and 

 bears small and not very showy fls. It is offered 

 by some dealers in native plants. Medeola is 

 nearest to Trillium. The fls. are umbellate, the 

 perianth segments all alike, colored and decid- 

 uous. 



Virginikna, Linn. Fig. 1383. Stem slender, 

 1 -3 ft. high, clothed with flocculent deciduous 

 wool : lower whorl of Ivs. 5-9, obovate-lanceo- 

 late, pointed, netted-veiny, lightly parallel-ribbed, 

 sessile; upper whorl of 3-5, smaller, ovate Ivs. at 

 top subtending a sessile umbel of small, recurved 

 fls. June. Boggy soil, New England to Minn., 

 Ind. and southward. B.M. 1316. D. 129. 



M. asparagoldes, Linn.=Asparasus medeoloides. 



MEDICAGO (name originally from the country 

 Media). Leguminbsce . Forty to 50 herbs (rarely 

 shrubs) in Europe, Asia and Africa, with small 

 pinnately 3-foliolate Ivs. and denticulate Ifts., 

 and mostly small, purple or yellow fls. in heads 

 or short racemes: stamens 9 and 1, diadelphous: 

 fr. a small spiral or curved, rough or pubescent 

 indehiscent 1- to few-seeded pod: fl. with an ob- 

 ovate or oblong standard and obtuse mostly short 

 keel. Three or 4 species have become weeds in 

 the East. A few arp somewhat cult, for ornament. 

 The one important species, from an agricultural 

 point of view, is Alfalfa. One species (and per- 

 haps more) is cult, for the odd pods, which are 

 sometimes used by Old World gardeners as sur- 

 prises or jokes, and are occasionally grown in 

 this country as oddities. Some of the Medicagoes 

 simulate clovers in appearance, but the twisted or 

 spiral pods distinguish them. 



A. Flotvers purple. 



sativa, Linn. ALFALFA. LUCERNE. Fig. 1384. Per- 

 ennial,, glabrous, growing erect 1-3 ft. and making a 



1382. Maytenus Boaria. 



Showing the dehiscing fruit. 



longtap-root: Ifts. small, linear, oblong to ovate-oblong, 

 prominently toothed towards the top: stipules awl-like, 

 conspicuous, entire: fls. in short, axillary racemes: 



