SIVEET-SMELLIXG PLAXTS 



79 



M. commutatum, sky Line ; M. mcrceolens. bright blue ; J/, atlan- 

 ticum, blue, and racemonun all j)ossess scented attractions. 

 Musk. Ste Mimulus moschatus. 



Myrcia acris. — An American tree, the leaves of which are nsed as 

 'Bay leaves.' In the West Indian woods the fragrance from the 

 foliage impregnates the air for a great distance. 



Myrica Gale. — The Sweet Gale differs from the majority of fragrant 

 leaved, plants in preferring a moist situation. Our native kind, J/. 

 gale, grows in damp, boggy spots, and is charming in the garden 

 too. It makes a close bush about 3 feet high, and has small, 

 toothed leaves, which fall in winter. There are two or thi^ee 

 American species, but the best of them is J/, a-sijleni folia. This 

 kind is an evergreen, and makes a close, dense bush, whilst 

 its leaves are of a rich green colour, and being persistent, their 

 delicious fragrance can be enjoyed the whole year round. See 

 Comptonia. 



Myristica moschata or officinalis. — An East Indian tree with oblong 

 aromatic leaves, and useful in commerce as the source which sup- 

 plies Mace and Nutmegs. 



Myrodia turbinata. — A Central American evergreen shrub, bearing 

 white flowers, strongly aromatic. 



Myrospermum Pareiras. — A Mexican tree that produces Balsam of Peru. 



Myrrh. .5- Balsamodendron myrrha. 



Myrrhis odorata. — An odoriferous herbaceous plant, a native of Great 

 Britain. 



Myrsiphyllum asparagoides [Simlax). — An American herb ; a lovely 

 climbing plant for hanging baskets, with flowers scented like 

 Orange blossoms, and small cordate dark-green foliage. The Paler- 

 mitan belles find, fi^om experience, that its delicate, _ efiil 

 sprays outlive all other green foliage in the heated aii^ of a ball- 

 room, and they arrange it with gTeat taste for personal decoration, 

 adding some of their splendid Camellias, or other brilliant flowers, 

 which grow in profusion in what is literally a land of flowers. I 

 have long wondered why our English ladies did not adopt this very 

 beautiful and delicate plant as an addition to theii^ ball-room toilette, 

 and only surmise that its merits have been comparatively unknown 

 in England. 



As a trailing plant in a cool stove or warm greenhouse it is 

 extremely useful. The gTeatest difficulty is to find a place where it 

 can be suitably acconmiodated. It requires to be within easy reach, 

 and each stem should be kept separately tied to or entwined around 

 a slender string so that when requu^ed in a cut state it can be easily 

 detached. Grown in this way, it also looks extremely handsome 



