AND GENERAL HORTICULTURE. 



267 



MYR 



Myro'dia. From myron, myrrh, perfume, and 

 oame, a smell. Nat. Ord. Sterculiacea. 



A genus of South American trees or shrubs, 

 with an aromatic odor. There are seven 

 species described of which M. turbinata is 

 the only one yet introduced. Its flowers 

 are white and very fragrant, otherwise it is of 

 little horticultural interest. It is of easy 

 cultivation, and is propagated by cuttings of 

 the half-ripened shoots. 



Myrospe'rmum. From myron, myrrh, an aro- 

 matic balsam, and spcrma, a seed ; the seeds 

 yield a strong-smelling resin. Nat. Ord. 

 Leguminosce. 



This is the genus which produces the Balsam 

 of Peru, used in perfumery and in the prepara- 

 tion of lozenges. They are all from South Amer- 

 ica, and closely allied to Myroxylon, and are 

 mainly interesting for the drugs they furnish. 

 Myro'xylon. Tolu Balsam Tree. From myron, 

 myrrh, and xylon, wood ; the wood is resinous 

 and sweet-scented. Nat. Ord. Leguminosce. 



A genus of about six species of evergreen 

 trees, natives of tropical America. M. Tolui- 

 ferum (Tolu Balsam-bearing), the most impor- 

 tant species, is a large spreading tree, with 

 very thick, rough, brown bark. The balsam 

 flows from incisions made in the bark during 

 the hot season, its smell is extremely fragrant, 

 somewhat resembling the lemon, and its taste 

 is warm and sweet. 



Myrrh. An aromatic, medicinal, gum-resin, 

 yielded by Balsamodendron myrrha, a native 

 of Arabia Felix. See also Myrrhis. 

 My'rrhis. Sweet Cicely or Myrrh. From myrrha, 

 myrrh ; in allusion to the scent of the plants. 

 Nat. Ord. Umbelliferce. 



M. odora, the only species of interest, is a 

 very graceful-looking plant with finely cut 

 foliage, and an agreeable odor. It is still 

 used in salads in Italy. Native of the moun- 

 tains of Europe and the Caucasus region. 



Myrsina'ceae. A natural order of trees, shrubs 

 or undar-shrubs of variable habit, natives of 

 Africa, Asia and America, and said to abound 

 chiefly in islands with an equable temperature. 

 Little is known of their properties. There are 

 over thirty genera and five hundred species. 

 Myrsine, Ardteia, Theophrasta, and Jacquinia 

 are examples of the order. 



My'rsine. The old Greek name given by Dio- 

 scorides to the myrtle. Nat. Ord. Myrainacece. 

 A genus of about eighty species of shrubs 

 or small trees, mostly evergreen, natives of 

 Asia, Africa, and tropical America, a few being 

 indigenous in Japan, Australia, and New 

 Zealand. The berries of M. Africana, a species 

 widely dispersed over Africa and occasionally 

 to be seen in green-house collections, are said 

 to be mixed with barley by the Abyssinians as 

 food for their asses and mules. Syn. Sider- 

 oxylon, Manglilla, and Samara. 



Myrsiphy'llum. Smilax. From myrsine, a 

 myrtle, and phyllon, a leaf ; resemblance ol 

 the leaves. Nat. Ord. Liliacece. 



M. asparagoides, the well-known Smilax oJ 

 the florist, is a native of various parts of the 

 Cape of Good Hope. It was first introduced 

 into England in 1702, but was soon discarded. 

 It was again introduced by Mr. Cooper about 

 1861, who sent it to Kew, where it flowered, 

 and from whence it was disseminated. It is 

 now one of the essentials of a florist's stock ; 



MYR 



in fact it is of greater importance than any 

 flower, if we except the Rose. It is of easy 

 culture, as may be inferred from the fact that 

 it is treated in about as many different ways 

 as there are growers. Sow the seed in the 

 green-house in boxes of light rich soil in Jan- 

 uary or. early in February. As soon as the 

 plants are three inches high, prick them out 

 first into shallow boxes, and again into thumb 

 pots when established, and grow on in any 

 convenient place, even partially under 

 benches, where little else would grow. When 

 required shift into three-inch pots, and grow 

 on until about the first of August, and then 

 plant out in the bed where they are to grow, 

 at about six inches from plant to plant, and 

 twelve inches between the rows. This is 

 about the right distance when strings of six 

 or nine feet are used to train on ; if higher the 

 plants may be set farther apart. By the first 

 of January following, they will have made a 

 growth of eight or ten feet, and be ready for 

 cutting. A second growth will at once com- 

 mence, and a crop secured by March or April. 

 When the second crop has been cut, give it a 

 partial rest, clean the bed off, enrich with a 

 light top dressing, and put up the strings 

 for the next year's growth, which will com- 

 mence in August or September. When grow- 

 ing freely it may be liberally supplied with 

 manure water once a week and syringed once 

 a day. This treatment never fails of giving 

 at least two good cuttings a year ; and with a 

 succession of plantings a supply can be had at 

 all times of the year. The strings used should 

 be of a green color, so that in festooning they 

 may not be seen. Although a crop is often 

 taken after the last cutting in April, we pre- 

 fer to use the space in spring for other pur- 

 poses, and plant the young plants of Smilax 

 each year, beginning the first planting in 

 August, as above mentioned. From August 

 to October a light shading should be used on 

 the glass. We find nothing better than 

 naphtha mixed with a little white lead, so as 

 to give it the color of thin milk. This shad- 

 ing can be put on with a syringe in a few 

 minutes. It costs only twenty-five cents for 

 each thousand square feet of glass, and we 

 consider it the best shading for all green- 

 house operations. One important caution in 

 growing Smilax must be given ; it will not 

 stand tobacco nor any other kind of smoke or 

 gas, the leaves quickly getting yellow. If 

 infested by the Aphis (Green Fly) tobacco 

 must be used in the liquid state by steeping 

 the stems till of the color of strong tea. When 

 other plants require to be fumigated in the 

 same house with Smilax, to save the Smilax 

 from injury, it should be first freely syringed, 

 as the smoke will then not hurt the leaves. 

 The same plan should be used with Helio- 

 trope, or any other plants the leaves of which 

 are susceptible to injury from fumigation. 

 Myrta'ceee. A natural order of trees or shrubs, 

 natives chiefly of warm countries, as South 

 America and the East Indies; many, how- 

 ever, are found in more temperate regions, 

 and some of the genera are peculiar to Aus- 

 tralia. Many yield an aromatic volatile oil, 

 some, edible fruits, and others furnish astrin- 

 gent and saccharine substances. The leaves 

 of certain species of Leptospermum, and Mela- 

 leuca, are used as tea in Australia. Pimento, 

 or Allspice is the berried fruits of Eugenia, 



