240 USEFUL FIBER PLANTS OF THE WORLD. 



Meibomia. See Desmodium. 



Melic grass, purple. Molinia ccerulea. 



Melaleuca armillaris. Swamp Tea Tree. 



Exogen. Myrtacea . Small tree or shrub. 



The genus is represented by several species, for the most part natives of Australia 

 and the Indian Ocean. The above species abound in Tasmania. 



Bast Fiber. — The friable lamellar bark can be converted into an excellent blot- 

 ting paper — perhaps, also, filtering paper. It is worthy of record that many species 

 of this genns yield a very similar bark, formed of innumerable membranous layer-. 

 The most gigantic species of the genus, Melaleuca leucadendron, which is common in 

 south Asia and tropical Australia, exhibits such a bark, which thus may be turned 

 to account. (Dr. Ferd. von Mueller.) 



Melilotus alba. White Sweet Clover. 



Common names. — Also called white melilot and bokbara clover. 



Of Eastern origin, it is now found in Asia, Europe, and North America ; common in 

 many portions of the United States, where it may be recognized by its sweet odor, 

 particularly when cut. 



Structural Fiber. — This can scarcely be called a fiber plant, though specimens 

 of fibrous substance, extracted from its dead stalks, have been sent to the Depart- 

 ment. As the stalks sometimes grow to a height of 6 or 7 feet (in Alabama] the 

 fiber on the old stalks in the field blowing in the wind are sure to attract attention. 

 It might answer for paper stock, though there are many better plants for the purpose. 

 Bernardin also enumerates the species in his list. 



Melocanna bambusoides. 



A species of bamboo found in India. Its stems are sometimes beaten into liber for 

 various uses. For some of the uses of bamboo see Bamousa. 



Melochia arborea. 



Syn. AT. veluiina. 



Exogen. StercuUacecv. Shrub or small tree. 

 Andaman Islands, Malay Archipelago, and Burmah, hotter parts of India, etc. 

 Fiber.— This is known as betina-da. It is a bast fiber, which when twisted into a 

 stout cord is woven into the turtle nets used by the fishermen of the Andaman 

 Islands. {Watt) 



Melodinus monogynus. 



A species of Apocynacew found in Sylhet, which according to Roxburgh, produces 

 a >trong, tough fiber. He notes that in steeping the stems in a stream it killed the 

 fish. Watt says the fiber is used as a substitute for hemp. 



Merulius lachrymans (see under Polyporus). 

 Mesta pat I Hind.). See Ribiscn.s cannabinus. 

 Metl (Yuc). Maya name for the Agaves. 

 Metroxylon sagu. The Sago Palm. 



Syn. Sagus rumphii. 

 This genns of palms comprises six species, natives of the Malay Archipelago. Xew 

 Guinea, and Figi. M. sagu, a Dative of the Moluccas, Sumatra, and Borneo, supplies 

 a part of the sago of c< mmerce, which is extracted from the pith. It has been called 

 "a plant between a fern and a palm." See fig. 83.) 



