HER 



[ 533 ] 



MES 



This must not be mistaken for Mercu- 

 ria'lis, or Mercury, one of our common 

 hedge-weeds ; for this is poisonous. Mer- 

 curia'lis is a dioecious plant, and belongs 

 to the Nat. ord., Spurgeworts; but the 

 C'henopo'dium belongs to the Nat. ord., 

 Chenopods, and to the Linnsean class and 

 order Pentandria Mouogynia. 



MERENDE'RA. (This should have been 

 added to Bulbocodium.) 



M, Caucn'sica (Caucasian), i. Purple. Au- 

 gust. Caucasus. 1823. 



MERODON NARCISSI. Narcissus Fly. 

 The bulbs of the daffodil and of other 

 species of the narcissus frequently refuse 

 to vegetate ; and the usual cause is, that 

 their interiors have been eaten by the 

 grab of this two-winged fly. This disap- 

 pointment may be avoided if these bulbs 

 are examined before being planted. 



In the month of November, says Mr. 

 Curtis, one or two large, roundish holes 

 are sometimes found on the outsides of 

 the bulbs of the daffodil and narcissus. 

 The bulbs are more or less decayed 

 within, where a maggot will generally be 

 found, which, by feeding in the heart 

 during the summer and autumn months, 

 has been the sole author of the mischief. 

 This larva is somewhat like the flesh- 

 maggot, and not unlike a hot, only that 

 it is not jagged with spines, and instead 

 of being whitish, its natural colour, is 

 changed to brown by its living amongst 

 the slimy matter which has been dis- 

 charged from its own body, causing the 

 gradual rotting of the bulb. Towards 

 the end of November the maggot is 

 transformed into a pupa, to accomplish 

 which it eats its way out of the bulb near 

 the roots, and buries itself in the sur- 

 rounding earth. The pupae are dull 

 brown, egg-shaped, rough, and strongly 

 wrinkled. In this state they remain until 

 the following spring, when the flies issue 

 from them. Their eggs are then de- 

 posited, but upon what part of the plant 

 they are laid has not been observed, but 

 probably upon the bulb near the base of 

 the leaves. April seems to be the month 

 when most of the flies hatch ; and they 

 have been compared to small humble- 

 bees, from the disposition of the colours, 

 which are, for the most part, yellow, 

 orange, and black; but they certainly 

 bear a greater resemblance to some of 

 the bot-flies. From bees, they are readily 

 distinguished by having only two wings, 



the horns and proboscis are totally dif- 

 ferent, and they have no stings. 



MESEMBRYA'NTHEMUM. Fig-Marigold. 

 (From mesembria, mid-day, and anthemnn, 

 a flower; referring to the flowers opening 

 better on sunny days. Nat. ord., Ficoids 

 [Mesembryacese]. linn,, IZ-Icosandria 

 Z-Di pentayynia. ) 



Greenhouse succulent plants, from the Cape of 

 Good Hope, except when otherwise mentioned. 

 All by seeds, and most of them by cuttings, dried 

 at the base, before inserting them in sandy soil, 

 peat, loam, lime-rubbish, and old cow-dung, well- 

 drained. Winter temp., 38 to 45. Well suited 

 for window-plants and rough rock-work, out of 

 doors, in summer. Seeds should be sown in a 

 hotbed, and plants gradually hardened off before 

 planting out. 



GREENHOUSE ANNUALS. 

 M. cadn'cum (deciduous). 1. Pink. July. 1""4. 



calendula'ceum(mairigo\A-f}uwered). jj. Yel- 



low. August. 1819. 



Culifo'rnicum (Californian). Purple. Sep- 



tember. California. 1847. 



cryslalli'num (crystalline. Ice Plant), White. 



July. Greece. 17/5. 



gsniculiflo'rum (joint-flowering). 1. White. 



August. 1/27. 



plu'bra (smooth), f. Yellow. Ausrust. 1/87. 



heiianthoi'dea (sunflower-like). |. Yellow. 



September. 1774- 



pilo'sum (shaggy), f. Yellow. July. 1800. 



pinnati'fidum (leaf-cleft). 1 . Yellow. July. 17/4. 



pomeridiu'num (afternoon). l.Yellow. July. 1//4. 

 Andre'wsii (Andrew's). 1. Yellow. Julv. 



pube'rulum (rather-downy). White. 1829. Bi- 



ennial. 



pyropce'um (flame-coloured). Rose, white. June. 

 ro'seurn (rosy). Rose, white. June. 



tnpo'lium (aster-teao<?d)- i- Pale yellow. Au- 



gust. 1700. Biennial. 



GREENHOUSE EVERGREEN TRAILERS. 

 M.abbret'ia' turn (short-jointed). . N.Holland. 

 1825. 



acimicifn' >-me (scimitar-formed). . Pink. 17 14,. 

 lo'itgHin (long). 4- Pink. August. 



cequilatera'le (equal-sided). |. Pink. June. 



N. Holland. 1/91. 



attenuu'tum (thin). . White. July. 1821. 



austru'le (southern). $. Yellow. July. New 



Zealand. 1/33, 



barba'tum (bearded). . Pink. July. 1/05. 



ca/yci'num (to-calyxr-d). J. White. July. 1819- 



cu'ndens (glittering). $. White. June. 1820. 

 viri'diits (greener). White. September. 



clavella'tum (small-club-teawed). k- Pink. June. 



N. Holland. 1803. 

 azgrega'tum (crowded-feave<f). . Pink. 



June. N. Holland. 1803. 

 mi 'HUS (smaller). $. Pink. N.Holland. 



J810. 



critfiKitn'hum (thick-leaved).|.Pink. June. 1727. 



dtf'Aite(weak), i. 1824. 



de'nxum (Am*e-kearded). |. Pink. June. 1732. 



edu'le (eatable. Hottentot Fig). . Pink. July. 



i6yo. 



filament^' sum (thready). \. Pink. May. 1732. 



florlbu'ndum (bundie-flowered). 4- Pink. Juiy. 



1704. 



furfu'r?uin(\)Txnny-tin%ged). J. Blush. 1830. 



geinina'tum (twin), a Pink. 1/92. 



glauce'acfins (milky-greenish). $. rink. July. 



1804. 



