1002 



MELILOTUS 



oblong or oblong-obovate; keel obtuse: fr. a small, 

 few-seeded, not twisted, but more or less reticulated 

 flattish pod. Two species, M. officinalis, Lam. (yellow- 

 fld.), and M. Alba, Desv. (white-ttd.), have become 

 weeds along roadsides and in waste places. 



The latter, M. alba, is the 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 ricli 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 

 an excellent bee plant. L^ jj_ B^ 



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

 Balm). Lahi^tm, 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 silv. IV Hliii.- iiiarkiii--. .)/■. Patavina, Benth.= 

 Calamiiill:.' 'l',:i, ,,■>„,: . Ih.ii. I'liis has light purple fls., 

 and niiiv li. f<iM Ir-'im c. .j r:n,^liftora and officinalis by 

 the calyx l.iini,- ImU'i-.l or jriMious at the base. Melissas 

 have dentate Ivs.: whorls few-fld., lax, axillary, secund: 

 fls. white or yellowish; corolla tube recurved-ascending 

 below the middle. 



MELOCACTUS (melon-cactus, referring to the shape 

 of the plant-body). Cact&cete. Stems globose or ovoid, 

 with vertical ribs, crowned at maturity with a"cepha- 

 liura"— a prolongation of the axis densely covered with 

 small tubercles, imbedded in wool and bearing in their 

 axils small flowers and berries. The plant has the ap- 

 pearance of an Eehinopsis surmounted by a Mammillaria. 



1389. Melocactus communis ( 



commilnis, Link & Otto. Fig. 1389. Ribs 10-20, acute : 

 areolae nearly 1 in. apart: radial spines 8-11, straight or 

 curved, subulate; centrals 1-4: cephalium at first low, 

 hemispherical, becoming cylindrical in time, reaching a 

 height of 8 in. ; the dense wool of the cephalium is 

 pierced by many red or brown bristles: fls. red, slender: 

 fr. -A in. long, crowned by the persistent remains of the 

 flower, red. West Indian islands. Called there "Turk's 

 Head." B.M. 3090. Kathakine Brandegee. 



MELON. See Miiskmelon and Watermelon ; also 

 Citrulhis and Cuciimis. M. Papaw. See Carira Papaya. 

 M. Shrub. See Solannm mnricatiim. Chinese Preserv- 

 ing Melon is Benincasa. 



MELdTHKIA (probably a name for a bryony-like 

 pl.iiit ; iH. l<,ii i^ (ireek for apple, which may rei'erto the 

 slKijir oL tlii- fruit). CucurbitAcece. About 54 species of 

 sleiiilrr herl'ai'ctius vines, climbing or trailing, annual 

 or perenni.il. with small yellow or white fls., found in the 

 warmer parts of the world. Three kinds are known to 

 the trade as M. scabra, Mukia scabrella and Pilogi/ne 

 stcavis, the last being perhaps the best. These three 

 are slender, but rapid-growing, half-hardy, annual 

 climbers, which may be grown indoors In winter, but 

 preferably outdoors in summer for covering unsightly 

 objects. They are presumably more attractive in fruit 

 than in flower. 



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

 Vol. 3, 1881, makes three sections of the genus. .1/. 

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

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

 sensitive tendrils. 



Section I. Eitmelothria. Fls. usually monoecious, 

 males mostly racemose ; anthers subsessile : fr. mostly 

 with long and slender peduncles: seeds usually not 

 margined. 



Section IT. Solena. Fls. mostly dioecious, males 

 corymbose; anthers borne on rather long filaments, the 

 connective not produced : fr. mostly short-peduncled : 

 seeds mostly margined. 



Section III. MnKiA. Fls. monoecious, males clus- 

 tered; anthers subsessile, the connective apiculate: fr. 

 subsessile: seeds margined, usually pitted. 



scilbTa, Naud. Lvs. rigid, entire or acutely ,T-lobed ; 

 tendrils unbranched: anthers roundish, with a wide con- 

 nective, the cells straight, not plicate: fr. ovoid or ovoid- 

 oblong, obtuse, 3-celled, rather large (1 in. long, K in. 

 thick), with broad parallel stripes of white and green. 



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

 membranous, cordate, angled or slightly 3-5-lobed, 

 white-spotted above, pilose, short-hairy or scabrous be- 

 low, margin remotely denticulate : fr. brown, lightly 

 liittcd. about 3 lines thick : seeds small, about 2 lines 

 Inn-. ..trniicrlv nnmiirr-i«r.d. S. Afri.'u- Int. 1890 by 

 H.-lHl.r-.,,, .V I',,.:,. H,.. •<:,]., ],.:,y,;\ rii,,.!,,.,-. Metothria 

 /.',,,- '.,!,! 1- .■! Ih:iiiii| 111 rliiMliMi- 1 1 ■ 1 1 .lu ' , -, i u .; percunial, 

 lirfi r kiiiiHii :i- r.i.'.jiiiK ,w/r/r.s, ami ^nm,. times Called 

 /,, hii' , n, siKiris. f.vrn wImii [in iter t re I , 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: Ivs. green, small and glossy. Being a very 

 rapid grower, it is desirable for covering verandas or 

 for house culture. It will do well in any part of a living 

 room where it has light. It will grow as much as 16 

 feet high in one summer by having a liberal supply of 

 water every day and liquid manure once a week. After 

 growing outdoors it can be cut down to 6 inches, potted 

 and taken into the house for the winter. In the spring 

 it can be cut back, again planted out and it will do well. 

 The roots can almost be called tuberous, and can be 

 kept dormant during the winter, the same as Dahlias, 

 buried in sand in a cool, dry place, free from frost. 

 Rapidly increased by cuttings. 



Maderasp&tana, Cogn. [Miilcia scabr^Ua, Am.). Lvs. 

 scabrous or short-hairy beneath : fr. small, globose : 

 seeds pitted. Trop. Asia and Afr.— "Fruits reddish when 

 ripe." J. M. TJwrburn <fc Co. j^^hes Vick and W. M. 



MENlSCIUM (Greek, a crescent: referring to the 

 shape of the sori). Polypodiaceee. A small genus of 

 about 10 tropical species, with simple or pinnate Ivs. and 

 the main veins united by successive transverse arches, 

 on which the naked sori are borne. 



retictdatum, Swz. Stalks 1-3 ft. long, stout: lvs. 2-4 ft. 

 long, 1 ft. or more wide, pinnate; pinnse 1^ in. wide, 

 with an acuminate apex, naked or slightly pubescent; 

 main veins 1-1 ^ lines apart, with 8-12 transverse arches. 

 Mexico and W. Indies to Brazil. l M. Uvuerwood. 



