MEL 



365 



MEN 



macracantha2 Wt. red 6, S, Ev. S. J S. Amor. . 1820 

 inacrantha . Wt. rod 6, S. Ev. S. J S. Amor. . 1820 



m thus """ \ Whit0 6 ' S ' Ev - S - * Jamaica • ■ 18S5 



octagdnus .' . Yellow 6, S. Ev. S. J Mexico . . 1834 

 placontifbr- ) Eod _ r g Ey s j Brazi i 



mis a . . J 



polyac!intb,a4 Bed . 6, S. Ev. S. J Brazil . . . 



jtyramidalis . Red . 6, S. Ev. S. f Caraccas . . 1824 



S ?ubris I Bed . 6, S. Ev. S. £ Caraccas . 



Salmitous . Bed . 6, B. Ev. S. J Curacoa . . 1835 

 Sell6wii 5 . Bed . 7, 8. Ev. S. f Brazil . . . 



Melocanna, Kosmpfer. From melon, an apple, 

 and Tcanna, a reed. Linn. 6, Or. 1, Nat. Or. 

 Qramindceas. This specie's is nearly allied to 

 Bambusa ; it is readily increased by suckers. 

 Synonyme : 1, Bambusa baccifera. 

 bambusoldes 1 Apetal. 7, S. Grass. 15 E. Ind. . 1818 



Mel&CHIA, Linn. Altered from Melochich, the 

 Arabic name of Cbrchorus olitdrius, which is 

 used in the East as a salad-plant. Linn. 16, 

 Or. 2, Nat. Or. Byttneriaceas. Plants of little 

 beauty. Any light rich soil suits them ; and 

 cuttings root freely in the same kind of soil, 

 under a glass, in heat. See Riedliia. 

 parvifl&ra. . Purple 7, S. Ev. S. 1 Caraccas . 1820 

 parvif&lia . . White 6, S. Ev. S 1 Trinidad . 1819 

 pyramidata . Plesh 5, S. Ev. S. 1 Brazil . . 1768 

 toment6sa . Purple 5, S. Ev. S. H W. Ind. . 1768 



Melodinus, Forster. From melon, an apple, 

 and dineo, to turn round. Linn. 5, Or. 2, 

 Nat. Or. Apocynacece. Ornamental plants, 

 well worth cultivation for the sake of their 

 showy flowers. They grow well in a mixture 

 of loam and peat ; and cuttings will root in 

 sand, under a glass, in heat, 

 mondgynus . White 7, 8. Ev. Tw. 8 E. Ind. . 1820 

 parvifolius . White 7, 8. Ev. S. 6 E. Ind. . 1775 

 scandens . . White 7, S. Ev. Tw. 12 N. Caled. . 1775 

 undulatus . White 7, S. Ev. S. 8 E. Ind. . 



Melon. See Chcumis Melo. 



Melon- pumpkin. See Cucurbila Melopepo. 



Melon-thistle. See Meloeoxlus. 



Melon-turk's-cap. See Melocdctus communis. 



MelosbiEA, Agardh. From melon, a melon, 

 and seira, a chain ; shape of the filaments. 

 Linn. 24, Or. 7, Nat. Or. Diatomaceoz. Very 

 minute species, found in salt marshes, rivulets, 

 & c . — discigera, lineata, nummuloldes. 



Melothria, Linn. From melothron, of Theo- 

 phrastus ; supposed to be Bryony. Linn.- 21, 

 Or. 2, Nat. Or. Cucwrbil&cea. Mere weeds ; 

 growing in any rich soil, and increased by 

 seeds. Synonyme: 1, Trichosdnthes fostidissima 

 — foetida 1, pendula. 



Melvilla. See Ouphea Melvilla. 



Membranaceous, or membranous, having the 

 texture of a membrane. 



MemecylacEjE. See Melastomaccce. 



MemjScylon, Linn. From me.mec.ylon of Dios- 

 corides ; the Greek name of the fruit of the 

 Arbutus. Linn. 8, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Melasto- 

 maceoe. The soil best adapted to the growth 

 of these plants is a mixture of peat, loam, and 

 sand ; and cuttings of the young wood root 

 freely in sand, under a glass, in heat, 

 angulatum . Purp. 5, S. Ev. S. 15 Mauritius . 1826 

 capitellatum . Purp. 7, 8. Ev. S. 10 E. Ind. . 1796 

 ed&le . . . Purp. 5, S. Ev. T. 15 Ceylon . 1820 

 grando . . . Blue 5, S. Ev. S. 20 E. Ind. . * 1824 



Meni6ous, Desfontaines. From mem, the moon, 

 and okkos, the eye ; supposed to refer to the 

 shape of the seeds. Linn. 15, Nat. Or. Bras- 

 siedceos. A pretty little annual, well fitted for 

 ornamenting rock-work. The seed may be 

 sown where it is to remain. Synonyme: 1, 

 Alfissum linifdlius. 

 linifdlius 1 . White 6, H. A. J Caucasus . . 1819 



MENfsciUM, Schreber. From meniskos, a cre- 

 scent ; alluding to the shape of the fructifica- 

 tion. Linn. 24, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Polypodiacece. 

 This is a very elegant genus of ferns. They 

 thrive well in loam and peat, and are increased 

 by dividing the roots, or by seeds. Syno- 

 nymes: 1, HemicmXtis proUferaj 2, Polypb- 

 dium rcticulatum ; 3, AspUnium sorbif&liwm. 

 cuspidatum . Brn.yel. 5, S. Her. P. 1 T. of Luzon, 

 palustre . . Brn.yel. 5, S. Her. P. 2 W. Ind. . 

 proliferum 1 . Brown 5, S. Her. P. 1 E. Ind. . 1820 

 reticulatum 2 Brown 5, S. Her. P. % Martinique 1793 

 sorbifblium 3 Brown 5, 8. Her. P. 1 Brazil . . 1823 

 triphyllum . Brn.yel. 6, S. Her. P. 2 E. Iiid: . . 1828 



MenispjSrmum, Linn. From mene, the moon, 

 and sperma, a seed ; the fruit is- kidney or 

 half-moon shaped ; whence the English name, 

 Moon-seed. Linn. 22, Or. 10, Nat. Or. Me- 

 nisperm&cece. This genus is chiefly composed 

 of hardy plants, well adapted for covering 

 arbours or trellis-work. They grow in any 

 common soil, and may be increased by divid- 

 ing the roots, or by cuttings planted early in 

 spring in a sheltered situation, or by seeds. 

 Synomjims: 1, M. virglnicum ; 2, Ciss&mpelos 

 smilaclna. See C6eculus, Cosclniwm, and Tilia- 

 cdra. 



amarissimum Yellow 6, S. Ev. Tw. 10 E. Ind. . 1804 

 canadense . Gn.yel. 6, H. De. Tw. 10 N. Amer. 1691 

 lobatum 1 . Gn.yel. 6, H. De. Tw. 15 N. Amor. 1732 

 daurioum . . Wt.yel. 6, H. De. Tw. 10 Dauria .1810 

 Lybnii . . . Purple 6, H. De. Tw. 10 N. Amer. 1823 

 planif61ium . Yellow 6, S. Ev. Tw. 10 E. Ind. . 1828 

 smilacmum 2 Gn.yel. 6, H. Ev. Tw. 10 Carolina . 1776 



MenispermacbjE, or Mbnispermads. Prin- 

 cipally shrubs that trail and straggle in their 

 growth ; the flowers are small and inconspi- 

 cuous ; in a selection where show is desired 

 they are not worth growing. They possess 

 strong narcotic properties, and are found useful 

 in medicine. 



MENONvfLLEA, De Candolle. In honour of M. 

 Thiery de Menonville, an enterprising French 

 naturalist. Linn. 15, Nat. Or. BrassicHcem. 

 Rather pretty hardy plants, growing freely in 

 light loamy soil, and increased by seeds. 

 fuifMia . Grsh. wht. 8, H. A. 1 Chile . . 1S36 



linearis . . White . . 8, H. A. 1 Chile . . 1S36 



MENSTRUUM, a liquor used as a dissolvent. 



Mentha, Linn. The poets celebrate Minthe, a 

 daughter of Cocytus, as being turned into mint 

 by Proserpine in a fit of jealousy. Linn. 14, 

 Or. 1, Nat. Or. Lamidcece. Mints form a 

 well-known genus of useful herbs, with the 

 culture and propagation of which every one is 

 familiar. Synonymes: 1, M. pyramiddlis ; 2, 

 M. crispa; 3, M. hirsvta, M. nepetoides ; 4, 

 M. paluddsa, M. palustris ; 5, M ■ rivUis ; 6, 

 M. agristis; 7, M. pr&cox; 8, M. gintilis; 9, 

 M. Bad&nsis; 10, M. rubra; 11, M. acuti- 

 folia, M. sativa; 12, M. austriaca ; 13, M. 



