MEL 



363 



MEL 



konis, dust ; in allusion to the black dusty ap- 

 pearance of the species. Linn. 24, Or. 9, Nat. 

 Or. Vredinaceat. These are voiy minute plants, 

 found on dead branches of trees — conglome- 

 ratum, ovatum, 



Melanocauxojst, black-stemmed. 



MELANOPsfDiUM, Ods. From mclanos, black, 

 and psidium, guava. See Thileodbxa. 



MELANORRH.&A, Wattich. From melas, black, 

 and rheo, to flow ; when wounded it yields a 

 black juice. Linn. 23, Or. 2, Nat. Or. Ana- 

 ' cardiacece. This splendid tree attains the 

 height, of a hundred feet ; it grows in peat and 

 loam, and cuttings of the ripened wood root 

 freely in sand, under a glass, in heat. The 

 varnish of Martaban is obtained from this tree ; 

 it is known in that country by the name of 

 Fheet-see, or Kheu, and is extremely dangerous, 

 as the skin, if rubbed with it, inflames, and 

 becomes covered with pimples, which are dif- 

 ficult to heal, 

 usitatissima . Red . 6, S. Ev. T. 100 B. Ind. . 1829 



Melanosel. See MelanoseUnum. 



MelanoselInum, Hoffmansegg. From mclas, 

 black, and selinmi, parsley. Linn. 5, Or. 2, 

 Nat. Or. Api&cece. This plant grows in ,any 

 common soil, and is increased by divisions. 

 Synonyme : 1, Selinum decipiens. 

 decipiens . White 6, H. Her. P. 2 Madeira . 1785 



MELANOSTfcTA, De Candolle. From melas, black, 

 and stictos, marked ; leaves and calyxes marked 

 with black glands. Linn. 10, Or. 1, Nat. Or. 

 Fabacem. A greenhouse shrub, growing about 

 six feet high. A mixture of heath-mould and 

 light loam is the best soil, and increase is 

 effected by division at the roots. 

 Burchellii . . Yellow 5, G. Ev. S. 6 C. G. H. . 1S16 



Melan<5xylon, black-wooded. 



MELANTHACE-ffis, or Melanths, are bulbous, 

 tuberous, or fibrous-rooted plants, possessing 

 considerable medicinal properties, and in some 

 cases bearing pretty flowers. 



Melanthera. See Melananttera. 



MelAnthium, Linn. From melas, black, and 

 anthos, a flower ; in allusion to the dusky 

 colour of the flowers. Linn. 6, Or. 3, Nat. 

 Or. Melanthacece. The plants of this genus 

 deserve a place in every collection ; for cul- 

 ture and propagation, see Massbnia. Syno- 

 nyme: Tulipa Breyniana. See Androcf/m- 

 bium, ChamceMrium, Leimdnthium, Omitlw- 

 gUssum, and WurmHa. 



capense . . . Yellow 5, G. Bl. P. i C. G. H. . 1768 

 ciliatum. . . Pa. yel. 6, G. Bl. P. J C. G. H. . 1810 

 gramlneum . White . 5, G. Bl. P. 1 Madagore . 1823 

 itinceum . . Piiik . 9, G. Bl. P. J C. G. H. . 1788 

 phalangioldes. White . 6, G. Bl. P. 1 Carolina . 1810 

 secundum . . White . 9, G. Bl. P. 1 C. G H. . 1812 

 sibirioum . . Wtpur. 9, G. BL P. 1 Siberia . . 1823 

 trlquetrum. . Wtpu. 4, G. Bl. P. f N. Amor. . 

 unifl6rum 1 . Wt. yel. 6, G. Bl. P. £ C. G. H. . 1787 



MelaspHjE'e.ula, Ker. From melas, black, and 

 sphaira, a globule ; dark colour of the bulbs. 

 Linn. 3, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Iridacece. These 

 handsome plants require to be treated similar 

 to the Ixias. Synonyme : 1, M. graminea. 

 gramSnea . . Green . 6, G. Bl. P. 1 C. G. H. . 1787 

 intermedia 1 . Yel.gra. 6, G. Bl. P. 1 C. G. H. 1787 



Mdif&lia . . Grn.yoL G, G. Bl. P. 1 C. G. H. . 1787 

 parviflbra . . Yellow 6, G. Bl P. J C. G. H. . 1787 



Melastoma, Burmann. From melas, black, 

 and stoma, the mouth ; the black berries of 

 some of the species are commonly eaten by 

 children, whose mouLhs they stain black. 

 Linn. 10, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Melastomacece. 

 These plants are very showy when in flower, 

 especially M. elongata ; indeed, this plant can 

 hardly be excelled for beauty ; in its native 

 habitat its flowers are large, and vary from 

 blue to purple and white. Loam, peat, and 

 sand, mixed, suit all the species best ; and 

 cuttings of the young wood root readily planted 

 in pots filled with peat, and placed under a 

 glass, in heat. Synonymes: 1, Osbickia gran- 

 diflbra; 2, M. malabdthrica. See Acibtis, 

 Charidntlvus, Ghilbnia, Clidemia, Medinilla, 

 Micbnia, Osbickia, Oxjjspora, Plerbrna, Tocdca, 

 and Tetrazpgia. 



afflnis . . . Purple 6, S. Ev S. 2 E. Ind. . 1810 

 Afzeliiraa. . Bed . 7, S. Ev. S. H S. Leone . 1824 

 Sspera . . . Purple 6, S. Ev. S. 6 E. Ind. . 1S15 

 Banks'ii . . White 9, S. Ev. S. 4 N. Holl. . 1824 

 Candida . . Purple 8, 8. Ev. S. 3 China . . 1822 

 corymbosa . Purple 6, S. Ev. S. 2 S. Leone . 1792 

 cymbsa . . Purple 6, S. Ev. S. 2 S. Amer. . 1792 

 dentioulata . Wt. ro. 6, S. Ev. S. 2 N. Caledon. 1855 

 ecostata . . Purple 7, S. Ev. S. 4 Jamaica . 1793 

 elongata 1 . Purple 5, S. Tu. P. 1 S. Leone . 1823 

 grossa . . . Purple 6, S. Ev. S. 10 S. Amer. . 

 leonensis . . Purple 5, S. Ev. S. 2 S. Leone . 1826 

 macrocarpa 2 Purple 6, G. Ev. S. 6 China . . 1793 

 malab&thrica Purple 6, S. Ev. S. 6 E. Ind. . . 1793 

 nepalensis . Purple 8, P. Ev. S. 8 Nepal . 1820 

 octandra . . White 8, S. Ev. S. 3 Ceylon . . 1815 



PU lenta" f Bed ' 3> S ' Bv ' S ' i Sumatra • 1822 



rugbsa . . Purple 6, S. Ev. a. 2 



sangulnea '. Purple 9, S. Ev. S. 6 China . . 1818 



villdsa . . Purple 5, S. Ev. S. 1J 



Melastoma. See Plerbrna. 



Melastomacece, or Melastomads. An order 

 of very beautiful shrubs, trees, or herbaceous 

 plants ; many bear sweet eatable berries ; most 

 of the species deserve cultivation. 



Meleagris, freckled, speckled. 



Melhania, Forskahl. From Mount Melhan, 

 in Arabia Felix, where the original species 

 ■was first found. Linn. 16, Or. 2, Nat. Or. 

 Sterculiacem. Ornamental trees, growing about 

 twenty feet high. They thrive best in a mix- 

 ture of sandy loam, and cuttings root readily 

 in the same kind of soil, under a glass, in 

 heat. 



Burchfllii . White 7, G. Ev. T. 20 C. G. H. . 1818 

 Erythroxylon White 7, S. Ev. T. 20 St. Helena. 1772 

 Melan6xylon . White 7, S. Ev. T. 20 St. Helena. 1S00 



Melia, Linn. The Greek name of the manna 

 ash ; resemblance in the leaves. Linn. 14, 

 Or. 10, Nat. Or. Meli&cece. Fine trees, thriv- 

 ing well in a mixture of loam, peat, and sand ; 

 and large cuttings of the ripened wood, with 

 the leaves not shortened, will root in sand, 

 under a glass ; those of the stove species in 

 heat. The root of M. Azedardch is bitter, and 

 is used as an anthelmintic in North America. 

 The fruit of M. Azadirachta is oily, acrid, and 

 bitter, as is also the bark. 



australis . . Lilac. . 7, G. Ev. T. 20 N. Holl. . 1810 

 Azadirachta . White . 7, S. Ev. T. 40 E. Ind. . 1759 

 Azedaraoh . Blue . 7, G. De. T. 40 Syria . . 1056 

 comp6sita. . Whtred 7, S. Ev. T. 20 E. Ind. . 1S10 



