MESPILUS 



Medlars nro easily raised from seeil^. altbou-ii seeds 

 (lilie tliose of Crataegus) may not f,'i-niiinate the tirst 

 year. On these stoelis the named varieties may be 

 grafted or budded. Medlars may also be woriied on 

 pear, tliorn (CratiBgus) or quinee. Tlie Duteli or Hol- 

 laudish and the Nottingham are the leading varieties. 

 The fruit of the former is often 2'i. inches in diameter. 

 The latter ia much smaller, Init is better in quality, 

 'riiere is also a seedless variety. 



^f. riranclifl^'ra, Smith (M. Smithii. r)(\), is Cr;tt.ei,'us j,'r;iiu!i- 

 l'lt»ra (see p. oU7J. Gu. 22, p. Itiij and :i4, p. tiO. L II B 



-MICIIAUXIA 



1001) 



MESaUIT of Mexie.o is Prosopis 

 osm). A iiieture (d' a IM(^s(iuit ton 



jidiflura (I.e 

 4t is sliown ill 



^mni- 

 ( ; . K. 



METEOSIDfiROS (CIreel;, l,.;n-l „f inm ; tliis and 

 other genera of the iMyrtle family are called ironwoods). 

 Myrtclcew. About 18 species of trees and shriiljs, rarely 

 climbers, mostly native.s of the Pacific islands from New 

 Zealand to Hawaii. They belong to the class of Austra- 

 lasian shrtibs whose chief beauty lies in their long red 

 anthers. They are somewhat grown for a fancy Easter 

 trade by florists, largely from imported stock. In 

 Metrosideros the flowers are borne in dense 2-or3-forked 

 cymes, while in Callistemon tlicy are borne in spilies. 

 Leaves mostly opposite: petals 5, s])reading; stamens 1 

 inch or more long, much longer than the petals. The 

 species described below are coolliouse shrubs, and are 

 rarely grown outdoors in the South. 



Apparently the commonest of tlie Bottle Bruslies in 

 the trade is Callisiemon laneeoldtux, which is passing 

 among florists as Metrosideros florihumla and M. ri>- 

 hnsta. In Pig. 320 (jiage 218) the plant is shown witli 

 apparently terminal intlorescence, but the branch is 

 really terminated by some leaf buds, which develop 

 later, as in Fig. 1.198. The handsome plant figured in 

 William Scott's "Florists' Manual," and to which he 

 refers in the following paragraph tis M<'fr<>y.}ilvn>s rn- 

 ln(.^ta, seems to be none other than Cn fti^ii'moii Umreo- 

 I'ltiis (see stipplementary list). ^y jj 



The plant known to the trade as Mrh-o.^fOero^ rohnsia 

 has been grown for many years as a c^nil greenhouse 

 plant, but it is onl)^ witljin a di^zen years that Euro- 

 l)eans have been sending American fiorists ttie compact 

 little bushes that now arrive with our Azaleas. The 

 city florist can perhaps dispose of one «>f these Bottle 

 Brushes for every ten plants of ^fsw/ci/ Indira. Plants 

 in (i-inch pots, well flowered, flxed with a red ribbon 

 and placed in a modern liasket certainly look novel and 

 attractive. The Belgians grow the young plants in ])eat, 

 as they do most hardwooded i)lants, but they do very 

 well in good turfy loam with a fourth of ieaf-mold. 

 Cuttings of the young growth may be struck in oarly 

 spring and planted out in gcjod soil iiy the end of ;May. 

 but it is cheaper to imjiort stock. When the plants 

 arrive soak the ball of roots, pot firmly and ]ilai'e them 

 in a house of abotit 4.5°. Freshly imported plants can- 

 not be forced in much heat, like Azaleas, or they will 

 shed their flowers. Watch them carefully, give them 

 more heat gradually and they will bloom for Easter. 



Plants unsold the first spring will be much more satis- 

 factory the second year. By the end of April cut them 

 back to witlnn 1 or 2 inches of the old growth, put them 

 in a good heat and keep them syringed. Tliey will make 

 It btishy growth, with a good number of shoots. Early 

 in .lune plunge them in a sunny spot outdoors, with the 

 rim of the pot well covered, and be careful that they do 

 not suffer for water in hot weather. In July, or earlier, 

 nmlch the pots with an inch of half-decomposed cow 

 manure. Before frost remove the plants to a temp, of 

 4.")^, or warmer if bloom is desired before Easter. 



Wit.T,TA?r Scott. 

 A. Fiutcers i'jd. 



robusta, A. Cunn. Lvs. opposite, elliptic-ovate, obtuse, 

 veiny, with an extra nerve near each margin and parallel, 

 glabrous: inflorescence a .'1-forked cyme: fls.red; calyx 

 top-shaped. New Zeal. B. M. 4471 (erroneously as Jl/. 

 finrida ) . 



AA. Floa-ers yetloLvish, 



fI6rida, Sm. Lvs. opposite, obovate-oblong. veiny, gla- 

 brous: inflorescence a thyrse: tis. yellowish ; calyx top- 



shaped, minutely si iky. Xrw Z.-.il. Not B..'M.447I, which 

 is 3r. roliiisla.-'riic topical form is not ailvertised, but 

 only var. variegata. 



M. fl rN// ;« IS n t 1 srtiseJ in Aincrir.i, but sto,-k im- 

 ported!^ in Ul ti 1 t under tins niiiiie irom Bch-hiiii is 

 I'uUistei n 111 c 1 tl (I ij. l:;9S). JI. lluribuLida, .Smith, is 



1398. rvletrosideros (loribunda uf the trade, but 

 Calhstemon lanceolatus of the botanists. 



Iliought to liiivi' wliili- lis. Bvs. opposite, petiolate, ovate-IaTjceo- 

 late: tis. ill ail uiiilici-like, decussatid,v branclied panicle. 

 Australia. — il/. seinprrflorfns, Lodd. = (.';illisteiijoii liincpotafns. 

 — jU. .'.■/"'{■('".sa, Sims^Callistemon speciusus, ^y t^j 



MEXICAN TEA. Consnlt Cln',i,>j,ndi,im . 



MEYENIA. See '/■l,HHh<i;iin. 



MEZEEEUM. Se.. Dapliur M,-zryrnm. 



MICHAUXIA (Andn- Jlichaiix. 174r,-lS02, French bot- 

 anist, who lived for ten years in .Vmerica and wrote 

 much on American plants), ('a)upa niitaod'. About 4 

 species of rather coarse-habited biennial herbs from the 

 Orient, of which J/, ci iHjuniu loides is best known. It 

 grows 4-."' ft. high, has irregtilarly toothed, bristly-hairy 

 ffdiage and large, curious drooping fls., wdiite, tinged 

 with piurple, wheel-shaped at first, later reflexed. Tlio 

 flower is ]iarted nearly to the base into 8-10 olilong seg- 

 ments, 1,^2-2 itt. long. This plant is a striking suliject 

 fortheback of a hardy border. It is easily projt. by seeds 

 (which should lie fresh ), and likes a well-enrii/lied soil of 

 a light nature. An American dealer offers a climber 

 with bell-shaped fls. uinlcr the name of M. cainpd- 

 iiiilata but these plants are erect herlis. 



Michauxia belongs, with Campanula and other genera 

 of garden importance, to a group characterized by hav- 

 ing the capsule closed at the top and opening laterally 

 by little holes between the ribs or by small solitary 

 valves. Michauxia is distinguished from the other genera 

 of this group by the 8-10-parted corolla with narrow, 

 spreading, finally refiexed lobes and an 8-IO-celled ovary. 

 Michauxias are erect plants, hispid or glabrous: lvs. ir- 

 regularly toothed or lobed, the stem-lvs. few: fls. termi- 

 nal or strung along the branches, the top ones opening 

 first, peduucled or nearly sessile, white or pale rose, 



campanuloides, L'H(?r. Lvs, lanceolate in outline; 

 ufiper ones sessile, acute, almost clasping: calyx with 

 reflexed ap]>endages shorter than the lobes; stamens 8. 

 Asia Minor, B,M, 219, ,j, B, Keller and W, M. 



