101^ 



MICOXIA 



MIGNONETTE 



robust: Ivs. very lar^e (becoming 2-2^^ ft. long), broad- 

 ovate and wavy-edged, arched, rugose, upper surface 

 lustrous green, lower surface red, the very prominent 

 veins white or light-colored: fls. small, panicled. Mex. 

 R.H. 1859, p. 359. -Discovered by Ghiesbrecht and first 

 shown by Linden in 1857. One of the best and most 

 striking of all conservatory foliage subjects. Voss 

 (Blumengartnerei) revives for this species the genus 

 Tamonea and calls it T. niagnifica, Voss. M. veliitiiia, 

 Lind. & Rod. (I.H. 41:21). of Brazil, is perhaps a form 

 of this species. Its Ivs. are not arched and tht colors 

 are more bronzy. 



spectAnda, Rod. { C.'/o nophf/JJ nin sperffhidun) , 

 Nichols.). Lvs. oval, 1% ft. or less loug, Ow in. broad 

 in the middle, the upper surface dark lustrous green, 

 tlie under siile greenish red. the midrib prominent and 

 grav. Brazil. 



1400. Miconia mag^nifica. 

 Known to the trade us CyanoplnjUuni inagnificxim. 



AssAmica [CyanophfiUum- AaKihnif^tim , Hort.) was 

 once offered by Saul. Said to be "a very beautiful foli- 

 age plant, with large, fine foliage." Probably a smaller 

 type of M. spectanda, but very pretty when the Ivs. are 

 expanding. Said by Nicholson and Mottet to be much 

 inferior to the above. _L_ jj_ 3_ 



MICROKfiNTIA (Greek, minnte Keniia). Pal- 

 niacca:. Here may belong Ihe plant known to the trade 

 as Kentia gracilis. Microkentia is a genus of 6 species 

 of palms from New Caledonia. They are unarmed, with 

 slender, bamboo-like, ringed trunks. The leaf segments 

 are long-sword-shaped and distinct, or the upper ones 

 grown together into a broad 2-CTit blade. The fruits in 

 this genus are amongst the smallest in the palm family. 

 The fls. also are minute. The true Kentias. of which 

 perhaps none is cultivated, have larger Hs. and fruits. 

 the former white, the latter vermilion. The anthers are 

 fixed at the base in Kentia, but dorsifixed and versatile 

 in Microkentia. Microkentia is nearer Clinostigma and 

 Oyphosperma, but in these the leaf segments are irreti^- 

 ularly bitten off at the apex. Ki'niia f/racih's, Brong. 

 & Gris. ==^ Mierokevfla f/raciJii^, Benth. & Hook. It is 

 possible that the Kentia gracilis of the trade is Ken- 

 iiopsis dlvaricata (which see). 



MICROLfiPIA (Greek, a smaU scnif: alluding to the 

 jndusiura). Pohjpodidcea'. A genus of graceful green- 

 house ferns, allied to Davallia, but having the shallow, 

 half-cup-shaped, membranous indusium attached to the 



sides as well as the l)ase; the stalks are also continuous 

 with the rootstock, and not joined to them, as iu the 

 true Davallias. Twenty or more species are known. 

 For cultivation, see Davallia. 



A. Lvs. once -pinnate. 

 margiaalis, Baker (M. scdbra, Hort.). Lvs. rising' 

 from a cni^eping rootstock, 18-24 in. long, 9-15 in. wide, 

 with linear pinnte, which are cut about half way to the 

 rachis into biuutish, oblong lobes. Ceylon to China. 



B. Lvs. tri-quadripinnaiifid. 



platyphjUa, Don. Lvs. 3-4 ft. long, on stout stalks 

 from a stout, scaly rootstock. tripinnatitid; ultimate di 

 visions l>road, bluntish, toothed, oblong, deltoid; sori 

 2-12 to a segment, one in each tooth. India to Japan. 



hirta, Kaulf. Lvs. 3-G ft. long, on stout stalks, tri- 

 quadripiiniatifid ; ultimate divisions oblong, broadly 

 toothed; rachises hairy or pubescent; sori 2-20 to ase;r- 

 ment, 1 or more together at the base of the teetli. 

 India and Polynesia. Var. cristata is also offered by the 

 trade. F. 1878, p. 59. Gn.31, p. 428. F. R. 1:709.- i/. 

 cristata, Hort., presumably belongs here. 



M. hispida, Hort.=? L. M. L^nderwoou. 



MICROMl^BIA {t)iil'ros, smsxU, meris, a part: small- 

 flowered). Lahidiw. This genus comprises about (iO 

 species of herbs and subshrubs, generally distributed 

 in tropical and temperate regions, especially in the 

 Mediterranean countries. Lvs. usually small, entire or 

 toothed: whorls axillary or in terminal spikes: fls. small; 

 calyx 13-nerved, 5-toothed or 2-lipped. corolla 2-lipped. 

 upper lip erect, flattish, entire or notched, lower spread- 

 ing, 5-lobed; stamens 4. 



A. Fls. 1-3 in ihe axils. 



Do&glasii, Benth. Yerba Buena. Perennial: stems 

 long, slender, trailing and creeping, with sweet-scented 

 round or oval lvs., 1 in. or less across: fls. purplish, 

 mostly solitary in the axils, on long, 2-bracted pedicels. 

 Woodlands, from Vancouver's Is. to S. Calif. Sandv 

 soil. -Offered by E. Gillett, 1881. 



aa. Fls. numerous in the axils. 

 rup6stris, Benlh. A dense, low-growing perennial 

 plant, woody at the base, with prostrate stems, which 

 turn up at the extremities, giving a heath-like effect 

 when in bloom. Lvs. have the odor and taste of penny- 

 royal: fls. abundant, small, white, with lavender spott* 

 on the inner side of corolla lobes, borne for several 

 inches along the stems. Prop, from cuttings and seeds. 

 J. N. Gerard writes that it blooms from July until heavy 

 frosts, and proves very satisfactory for rockery and in- 

 formal border. Not advertised in American catalogues. 

 but is in cult, by amateurs. S. Eu. jj;_ g Coulstox. 



MICE6STYLIS (Greek, small style). Orchiddcefp. 

 About a dozen species of this geniis are in cultivation in 

 the Old World. No species have found theirway into thf 

 American trade. They are herbs of terrestrial habit, 

 cult, for their richly colored lvs. The species in cult, 

 are all from tropical countries, and require a close. 

 damp house or, better, a Wardian case or bell-jar, 

 within which the air maybe kept moist enough for their 

 requirements. The lvs. are more or less broadly ovate, 

 rather succulent, with sheathing bases. They are mostly 

 beautifully colored. The fls. are borne in terminal ra- 

 centes, like those of Goodyera. 



Heinkich Hasselbking. 



Tlip Mycrostylis are deciduous orchids. They grow- 

 well in the warm end of the cattleya department, i.r 

 better still treated like thunias or calanthes, — a rather 

 warm, moist atmosphere when growing in spring, re- 

 ducing the same toward late summer as they begin to 

 lose their foliage, and eventually resting them quite dry 

 in a temperature of about (H)° F. during winter. They 

 will probably suffer in a Wardian case or bell-glass. 

 They certainly will after growth is completed, if not at 

 all times. r. m. Grey. 



MIGNONETTE (Fig. 1401) is a universal favorite. 

 Though there are many fragrant flowers of easy culti- 

 vation that exceed the Mignonette in beauty, it is prob- 



