116 
MELILOTUS-MESPILUS. 
MELILOTTJS. 16—10. (LeguminoscB.) [From meK, honey, and /o^ms, a plant.] 
officina'lis, (yellow melilot-clover, y. J. i©.) stem erect, branching ; leafets 
lanceolate, oblong; spikes axillary, paniculate; legume 2-seeded, rugose ; 
flowers in long yellow racemes. 
aV'ba, (white melilot-clover, w. J. <v).) stem erect; leafets variable, (oval, 
ovate, obovate, and oblanceolaie,) mucronately serrulate; banner longer 
than the wings ; racemes axillary, panicled ; the longest raceme 6 to 10 
times as long as the longest leafet at its base ; legumes oval. 3-6 f. Prob- 
ably introduced, but now very common, and growing wild. 
MELISSA. 13—1. (LabiatcB.) [From melissa, a bee, because it affords honey.] 
officina'lis, (balm, w. b. Ju. %..) flowers whorled half-way round, sub-sessik ; 
bracts oblong, pedicelled ; leaves ovate, acute, serrate. Naturalized. 
MELOTHRIA. 19 — 15. {CucurbitacecB.) [From weZore, fruit, and iAWon, food.] 
pendu'la^ (small creeping cucumber, y. J. 0.) leaves sub-reniform, lobed, and 
angled, slightly hispid; fruit oval, smooth, pendalous. A slender vine, 
running over small shrubs and herbs on the banks of streams ; stem hairy ; 
leaves petioled ; tendrils 5-6 inches high; flowers axillary; the steril in 
small racemes, the fertile solitary. 
MENISPERMUM. 20 — 13. [From mena, the moon, ax\6.sperma, seed; seed-crescent form.] 
canade7i"se, (moon-seed, y. Ju. %.) leaves peltate, cordate, round-angular ; ra- 
cemes compound ; petals 8. 
MENTHA. 13—1. {Labiata,.) [From Minthe, the daughter of Cocytus, who is said to haro 
been changed into this herb.] 
canaden'\<ie, (w. p. Aa. %.) flowers whorled ; leaves lance-ovate, serrate, pe- 
tioled, hairy ; stamens as long as the corolla. Sandy soils. Stem 1 f, 
borea'lis, (w, p. J. '2|..) ascending, pubescent ; leaves petioled, ovate-lanceolate, 
acute at both ends ; flowers in whorls, stamens exsert, twice as long as the 
corolla. Horse-mint. 
piperi'ta, (peppermint, p. Au. %.) spikes obtuse, interrupted below ; leaves 
sub-ovate, somewhat glabrous, petioled ; stem glabrous at the base. Natu- 
ralized. 1-2 f. Ex, 
vir^'idis, (spearmint, p. Au.) leaves lanceolate, sessile; spikes elongated, in- 
terrupted ; stamens long. 1-2 f. Ex. 
MENTZELIA. 11—1. iOnagrm.) [In honour of Dr. Mentzel.] 
av/rea^ (y.) stem dichotomous ; leaves iance-ovate, deeply angular-crenate ; 
flowers sessile ; petals oval, acuminate, entire ; plant rough. 12 i. S. 
MENYANTHES. 5 — 1. {Gentiance,.') [From ?ne?2e, mouth, and anif^os, flower.] 
trifo'liata, (buck-bean, r. J. '2j..) leaves ternate, petioled, sheathing, smooth ; 
flowers pale, in a terminal raceme. Marshes. 
MENZIESIA. 8—1. (Eric(B.) [Named by Smith, in honour of Menzies.] 
caru'licB, (mountain-heath, Ju. T2.)stem branched, woody below; leaves scat- 
tered, crowded, linear, toothed; peduncles terminal, aggregate, 1-flowered; 
flowers bell-shaped, 5-cleft, decandrous ; calyx very acute. An evergreen 
shrub, resembling the heath. White hills, N. H. and other cold, elevated 
regions. Flowers large, purple, on long, red peduncles. 
^Zo5w7am, leaves lanceolate, glaucous beneath, nerves pubescent; calyx 4- 
cleft; flowers globose, octandrous. Mountains. Penn. to Car. Shrub. 
4 f. Flowers yellowish brown. 
ferrugin'^ea, leaves lance-obovate ; flowers urceolate, octandrous. 
MESEMBRYANTHEMUM. 11—5. (FicoidecB.] [From mesemSna, mid-day, and an^Aos, flow. 
er, so called because its flowers expand at noon.] 
crystaWtmm, (ice plant, w. Au. <v).) branching; leaves alternate, ovate, papil- 
lose ; flowers sessile ; calyx broad-ovate, acute, retuse. Ex. 
MESPILUS. 11—5. iRosacecb.) 
germani^ca, (medlar, T^.) leaves lance-ovate, downy beneath; flowers sessile, 
solitary, 
oxvcan'^tJia, (English ^ftawthorn.) 
