MELASTOMA 



MELILOTUS 



1001 



s. India to Austral. -Probably the M. Malabathricum 

 >f horticulturists is one of the above species. Not known 

 o be in the Amer. trade. L H. B. 



(ancient Greek name). Meliacece. Trees, 

 u ; :rom 30 to 40 feet high: Ivs. deciduous, doubly pinnate 

 .is a rule, the Ifts. acuminate, glabrous: fls. in graceful 

 panicles; sepals 3-5; petals 5 or 6; stamens monadel- 

 phous, 10-12, of two different lengths: ovary with sev- 

 eral locules, topped with a single style: fr. a small, in- 

 i'dehiscent drupe. Species 2 or 3, of Asia and Australia. 



A. Lvs. more than once-pinnate. 



Azedarach, Linn. This is the typical species as intro- 

 i duced in the southern states early in the last century. 

 It is a native of India and Persia, hence its various 

 local names, as Pride of India, Indian Lilac, China- 

 berry tree, etc. It has become naturalized throughout 

 the South, the seeds germinating freely. It grows with 

 great rapidity, and forms one of the most desirable 

 shade trees, both from the bright green tint of the foli- 

 age, which is retained until late in the autumn, and also 

 from the fragrance of the numerous, lilac-colored flow- 

 ers, which are produced during April. These are suc- 

 ceeded by an abundant crop of berries, of a yellowish, 

 translucent color, which are readily eaten by cattle and 

 birds. The wood, although coarse, is very durable. The 

 tree can withstand a low temperature, but a cold of 

 zero will injure it. Several forms have been found, 

 a white-flowering and one with finely-cut leaves, with 

 the segments of the Ifts. cut in narrow divisions. These 

 forms are not constant, the seedlings frequently revert- 

 ing to the typical species. In all forms of M . Azedarach, 

 the Ivs. are 2- or 3-pinnate, the iiltimate Ifts. ovate or 

 lanceolate, and varying from serrate to very nearly en- 

 tire. B.M. 10G6. 



Var. umbraculifdrmis, Hort. TEXAS UMBRELLA TREE. 

 Fig. 1387. The first tree that came to notice was found 



1388. Melicocca bijuga (sprays X%). 



near the battle-field of San Jacinto, Texas, but with no 

 record of its introduction there. If the flowers are not 

 cross -pollinated with the common sort, the percentage 

 of seedlings which reproduce the exact umbrella shape 



seldom varies; hence it is supposed by some to be a 

 distinct species. The Ifts. are less broad than in M. 

 Azedarach, and the branches erect, and, in a manner, 

 radiating from the trunk, the drooping foliage giving 

 the tree the appearance of a gigantic umbrella. Mn. 8, 

 p. 73. 



AA. Leaves once-pinnate. 



Azadirachta, Linn. (M. Jap6nica, Hassk.). Large 

 tree, sometimes 50 ft.: Ivs. broad, with 9-15 lance- 

 acuminate, oblique, more or less serrate Ifts. r fls. white, 

 fragrant : foliage crowded near the ends of the branches." 

 India. -Not hardy in the Middle South. 



M. floribunda, Carr. (R.H. 1872:470) is probably a form of 

 M. Azedarach. It is more precocious and very tioriferous. 

 M. sempervirens , Sw. From Jamaica. A low -growing tree 

 with leaves deeply incised. Flowers in axillary panicles, small, 

 light lilac, fragrant, in constant succession. A greenhouse 

 species. Probably only a form of M. Azedarach. B.R. 8:643. 

 P. J. BERCKMANS and L. H. B. 



MELlANTHUS (mel, honey, and anthos, flower). 

 Sapinddcece. About 6 species of evergreen shrubs, 

 natives of South Africa. Can be grown out-of-doors in 

 S. Calif. Foliage has a disagreeable odor when bruised : 

 Ivs. alternate, stipulate, odd-pinnate ; Ifts. unequal- 

 sided, toothed: fls. in axillary and terminal racemes, 

 secreting honey plentifully; calyx laterally compressed, 

 with or without a sac-like protuberance at the base, and 

 a nectar-bearing gland within ; petals 5, the anterior one 

 abortive; stamens 4, didynamous. M. Himalayanus is 

 M. major, which has been introduced into S. Asia. 



A. Calyx gibbous at base. 



major, Linn. Stem flexuous, glabrous, sometimes 10 

 ft. or more in height, with a widely creeping root: Ivs. 

 gray, a foot or more long, the upper ones smaller; stip- 

 ules grown together into one large, iutra-axillary piece, 

 attached to the lower part of the petiole; Ifts. 9-11, 3^4 

 in. long, 2 in. wide: racemes densely-fld., 1 ft. or more 

 in length: bracts ovate, acuminate: fls. red-brown, 1 in. 

 long: capsule papery, 4-lobed at the apex, 1-1 M in. 

 long: seeds 2 in each cell, black and shining. Cape. 

 B.R. 1:45. R.H. 1867, p. 131. 



AA. Calyx not conspicuously gibbous at base. 

 minor, Linn. Lvs. 5-6 in. long; stipules 2, subulate, 

 lateral, free; Ifts. l%-2 in. long, 6-10 lines wide: ra- 

 cemes 6-12 in. long, subterminal: fls. dull red: capsule 

 obtuse at each end, scarcely 4-lobed, 8 lines long. Cape. 

 Not B.M. 301, which is M. comosus. 



M. B. COULSTON. 



MELICOCCA (Greek, honey berry; referring to the 

 taste of the fruit). Sapinddcece. Two or 3 species of 

 tropical fruit trees, natives of Guiana and Trinidad. 

 The Spanish Lime, M. bijuga, is cult, in S. Fla. and 

 S. Calif. Its fruits are about the size and shape of 

 plums, green or yellow, and have a pleasant, grape-like 

 flavor. The large seeds are sometimes roasted like 

 chestnuts. The tree grows slowly, attaining 20-60 ft., 

 and bears freely. It can be fruited in the 

 North under glass. Generic characters: Ivs. 

 abruptly pinnate : racemes divided : calyx 4- 

 parted ; segments imbricated : petals 4 ; sta- 

 mens 8; disk complete; stigma peltate, sub- 

 sessile: ovary 2-celled : berry 1-2-seeded. 



bijuga, Linn. SPANISH LIME or GINEP. 

 Fig. 1388. Lfts. in 2 pairs, elliptical or ellip- 

 tic-lanceolate, entire, glabrous : fls. whitish, in 

 terminal racemes. Naturalized in the West 

 Indies. Bears several degrees of frost. The 

 foliage is distinct, the compound Ivs. with 

 winged petioles resembling those of Sapindus 

 saponaria, the West Indian Soap-berry. 



MELILOTUS (Greek for honey lotus). Le- 

 guminbsce. SWEET CLOVER. Perhaps a dozen 

 species of annual or biennial tall-growing, 

 sweet-smelling herbs, widely distributed in 

 temperate and subtropical regions. Lvs. pinnately 3- 

 foliolate, the Ifts. toothed and mostly narrow: fls. small, 

 white or yellow, in slender, long-stalked, axillary ra- 

 cemes; calyx teeth short and nearly equal; standard 



