metl] 



€f>e Ertzgurv of 3Sntanj), 



40 



METL. A Mexican name for Agave ame- 

 ricana. 



METRODOREA. A Brazilian shrub, 

 constituting a genus of Rutaceas. The 

 leaves are opposite, entire, dotted, stalked, 

 the stalks dilated and confluent at their 

 bases, enclosing the terminal bud. The 



is found in all parts of the world, is one 

 of our commonest liverworts, and occurs 

 of various breadths on trees, rocks, &c, 

 though always retaining its essential cha- 

 racters. [M. J. B.] 



MEUM. A genus of umbellifers, having 

 the fruit almost round, each half of it with 



flowers are small, glandular, purplish, and ; five prominent equal ridges, and vittae in 



borne on panicles ; calyx five-cleft ; petals 

 five, larger than the calyx ; stamens five, 

 inserted into the disk which surrounds 

 the flve-lobed ovary, each compartment of 

 which contains two ovules. [M. T. M.] 



the furrows and on the line of junction. 

 The species are natives of the upland parts 

 of Europe, having deeply divided leaves, 

 and white or purple flowers. The name is 

 given in allusion to the narrow divisions 

 of the leaves. [G. D.] 



METROSIDEROS. Several species of 

 this genus of Myrtacece are remarkable on 

 account of their climbing habit, all the 

 other plants of the order being erect trees 

 or shrubs. In some instances, however, 



they are climbers only while young, their \ j s also called Aguardiente de Maguey 

 stems sending out numerous strong woody 

 roots which clasp round the trunk of a 

 tree and compress it so tightly that it ulti- 

 mately dies, by which time, however, the 

 climber is sufficiently strong to support its 

 own weight. Other species are large tim- 

 ber trees or shrubs. All have opposite 

 entire thick leaves, marked with pellucid 

 dots ; and heads of showy red or white 

 flowers, having the calyx either wholly or 

 only half-way adherent to the ovary, the j 



MEW. Meum athamanticum. 



MEXICAL. An intoxicating spirit ob- 

 tained from pulque, the fermented juice 

 of Agave americana and allied species. It 



MEXOCOTL. Bromelia Acanga. 



MEYENIA. A genus of Acanthacece, con- 

 taining one Indian species, M. Hawtaynea- 

 na, a climbing plant, with opposite entire 

 leaves, and axillary pedunculate flowers; 

 and M. erecta and Vogeliana, beautiful tro- 

 pical African shrubs. The calyx is small, 

 five-lobed, and included within two large 

 bracteoles; the corolla funnel-shaped, with 



very short tube ; there are four didy- 



rim being thickened and bearing five round- j famous stamens, with two-celled anthers 



ed lobes, and as many rounded petals, the 

 numerous long coloured stamens, which are 

 the most conspicuous part of the flower, 

 forming a crown round the mouth. The 

 fruits are three-celled, opening by three 

 slits at the top or bursting irregularly, 

 and containing a great number of narrow 

 seeds. M. robusta, the Rata of the New 

 Zealanders, isa tall tree, sixty or eighty feet 

 high, with a stout erect trunk, never climb- 

 ing, abranching head of myrtle-likefoliage, 

 and showy bright red flowers. The hard 

 close-grained timber of the Rata is used in 

 New Zealand for ship-building and other 

 purposes, and by the natives for making 

 their war-clubs, paddles, &c. Other spe- 

 cies likewise produce timber suitable for 

 ship-building, such as M. tomentosa, the 

 Pohutu Kawa of the New Zealanders, called 

 Fire-tree by the colonists on account of 

 the brilliancy of its flowers ; while the 

 wood of the Aka, M. scandens, is called 

 New Zealand Lignum Vitse on account of 

 its hardness. [A. S.] 



METROXYLON. Sagus. 



METTERNICHIA. The name of a Bra- 

 zilian tree forming a genus of Solanacea. 

 The flowers are handsome, white or pink, 

 with a bell-shaped calyx irregularly flve- 

 cleft, and a funnel-shaped corolla, with a 

 limb of five equal segments. There are 

 live stamens, with anthers opening length- 

 wise ; and a two-valved capsule with nu- 

 merous seeds. [M. T. MJ 



METZGERIA. A genus of Jungerman- 

 niticece belonging to the frondose section. 

 The fruit springs from the midrib on the 

 under side, with a one-leaved involucre, and 

 the fronds are forked. M- furcata, which 



hairy at the apex ; the stigma is dilated 

 and has two bilobed lips ; and the capsule 

 is enlarged below, where it is two-celled 

 and four-seeded. [W. 0.] 



MEYERIA. A genus of Composite, 



closely allied to the radiate species of Calea, 

 and chiefly distinguished by the branches 

 of the styles terminating in a short cone, 

 and by the scales of the pappus being oblong 

 obtuse, not acuminate. Four Brazilian un- 

 dershrubs, with opposite leaves, and rather 

 showy yellow flower-heads, have been re- 

 ferred to it. 



MEZEREON. Daphne Hezereum, 



MEZEREUM. This has sometimes been 

 separated from Daphne, by reas<fn of its 

 deciduous perianth, and the small quantity 

 of albumen present in the seed. See 

 Daphne. [M. T. M.] 



MEZQUIT-TREE. Prosopis or Algarobia j 

 glandulosa. 



MIBORA. Knappia agrostidea, some- 

 times called Sturmia verna. 



MICHAUXIA. A genus of bellworts, 

 having the border of the calyx eight-cleft ; 

 the corolla with eight divisions which are 

 reflexed ; the style short with rows of hairs 

 ending in eight short divisions ; and the 

 ripe capsule with eight ribs and eight cells. 

 The species are biennials, chiefly found in 

 the Levant. M. campanuloides is some- 

 times seen in gardens. The genus was 

 named in honour of Michaux, a French 

 botanist. [G. DJ 



MICHELIA. A Florentine botanist of 

 the early part of the eighteenth century is 

 commemorated by this genus of Magnolia- 



