M I M 
M I M 
feet while his fore feet wilt be at rest ; and 
further, the motive force being applied near 
the vertex of the wheel will act but with little 
advantage ; and the w ork done will be com- 
paratively trilling. 
Hand - Mill, or horse-mill , is that worked 
bv the hand, or by horses, tkc. There is a 
long beam or lever for moving it, so attached 
that it may receive many men or horses, to 
drive several mills at once. There is the 
cog-wheel, placed horizontally, with pins 
fixed, not on its plane, but on the outside, at 
the circumference of the joints. There are 
also the trundle- head, the support, the iron 
axis, and the drum where the mill-stones 
are inclosed. 
MILLENARIANS, or Chiliasts, a 
name given to those who, in the primitive 
age i, believed that the saints will one day 
reign on earth with Jesus Christ a thousand 
years. 
MILLEPES. See Oniscus. 
MILLEPORA. See Madjif.pors, Zoo- 
phjtes, and Piate Nat. liist. figs. 266, 267. 
MILLER. I A, a genus of the syngenesia 
polygamianecessaria class of plants, the- com- 
pound flower of which is radiated ; there is 
scarcely any visible receptacle of the seeds, 
which are single after each particular flower, 
and have no pappus, or down. There are 
three species. 
MILLET. See Millium, and P a Ni- 
ce m. 
Millet-grass. See Milium. 
MILLING. See Fulling. 
MEM OS A, the sensitive plant, a genus of 
the polygamia order, in themonoecia class of 
plants, and in the natural method ranking 
under the 33d order, lomentaceas. The her- 
maphrodite calyx is quinquedentate ; the co- 
rolla quinquefid ; there are five or more sta- 
mina, one pistil, and a legumen ; the male 
calyx is quinquedentate ; the corolla quin- 
quelid, with live, ten, or more staynina. 
The name mimosa signifies ".mimic ;”and 
is given to this genus on account of the sen- 
sibility of the leaves, which, by their motion, 
mimic or imitate the motion of animals. This 
genus comprises 85 different species, ail na- 
tives of warm climates. Of the sorts culti- 
vated here in our stoves, &c. some are of the 
shrub and tree kind, and two or thre e are 
herbaceous perennials and annuals. The 
sensitive kinds are exceedingly curious plants 
in the very singular circumstance of then- 
leaves receding rapidly from the touch, and 
running tip close together ; and in some sorts 
the footstalks and all are affected, so as in- 
stantly to fall downward as if fastened by 
hinges, which last are called humble sensi- 
tives. They have all winged leaves, each 
wing consisting of many small pinnas. The 
following are the most remarkable : 
1. The sensitiva, or common sensitive hum- 
ble plant, rises with an under-shrubby prickly 
stem, branching six or eight feet high, armed 
with crooked spines ; conjugated, pinnated 
leaves, with bijugated partial lobes or wings, 
having the inner ones the least, each leaf on a 
long footstalk ; and at the sides and ends of 
the branches many purple flowers in roundish 
heads; succeeded by broad, flat, jointed 
pods, in radiated clusters. This is somewhat 
of the humble sensitive kind ; the leaves, 
footstalks and all, receding from the touch, 
M I M 
though net with such facility as in some of the 
following sorts. 
2. The pudica, or bashful humble plant, 
rises with an under-shrubby, delineated, 
prickly stem, branching two or three feet 
round, armed with hairy spines. This is 
truly of the humble sensitive kind ; for by the 
least touch the leaves instantly recede, con- 
tract, close, and, together with the footstalk, 
quickly decline downward, as if ashamed at 
the approach of the hand. 
3. 'The pernambuca, or pernambuca sloth- 
ful mimosa, recedes very slowly from the 
touch, only contracting its pinnae a little 
when smartly touched : hence the name sloth- 
ful mimosa. 
4. The asperata, or Panama sensitive plant, 
seldom rises above three feet in height ; but 
| its slender branches extend considerably on 
; the neighbouring bushes. It is armed with 
crooked sharp spines, so- thickly set on the 
trunk, branches, and leaves, that there is no 
touching it with safety. But the plant has a 
beautiful appearance ; the flowers are yellow 
i and globular, growing at the extremity of the 
branches. The pods are hairy, brown, and 
jointed ; each containing a small, flat, and 
brown seed. The leaves are numerous,. small, 
and winged : next to those of the mimosa pu- 
dica they are the most irritable ; contracting 
with the least touch, and remaining so for se- 
veral minutes after. This species would form 
a good hedge or fence round a garden. 
5. The punctata, or punctated sensitive 
mimosa, rises with a shrubby, upright, taper, 
spotted, unarmed stem, branching erectly 
five or six feet high ; bi pinnated leaves, of 
four or five pair of long winged folioles, hav- 
ing each about 20 pair of pinnae; and at the 
axillas and termination of the branches' ob- 
long spikes of yellowish decandruous flowers, 
tiie inferior ones castrated ; succeeded above 
by oblong seed-pods. This sort, tho’ naturally 
shrubby and perennial in its native soil, yet 
in this country sometimes decays in winter. 
It is only sensitive in the foliola, but quick in 
the motion. 
6. The viva, lively mimosa, or smallest 
sensitive weed, has many creeping roots, and 
spreads itself so as to cover large spots of- 
ground. It rises at most to two inches, and has 
winged leaves, with numerous small pinnae. 
The flower is globular, of a blueish colour, 
and grows in clusters from the axillae : these 
are followed by little, short, hairy pods, con- 
taining smooth shining seeds. This is the 
most sensible of all the mimosas, the pudica 
not excepted. By running a stick over the 
plant, a person may write his name, and it 
will remain visible for ten minutes. 
7. The quadrivalvis, perennial, or quadri- 
valve humble mimosa, has herbaceous, slen- 
der, quadrangular, prickly stems, branching 
and spreading all around, armed with recurv- 
ed spines; bipinnated leaves of two or three 
pair of winged lobes, having each many pin- 
nae ; and at the axillas globular heads of 
purple flowers, succeeded by quadrivalvular 
pods. This is of the humble sensitive kind, 
both leaves and footstalks receding from the 
touch. 
8. The plena, annual, or double-flowered 
sensitive mimosa, rises with an herbaceous, 
erect, round, unarmed stem, closely branch- 
ing and spreading every way, three or four 
feet high ; bipinnated leaves of four or live 
pair of winged lobes, of many pairs of pin- 
197 
me ; and at the axillas and termination of the 
branches, spikes of yellow pentandrous flow- 
ers, the lower ones double, succeeded by 
short broad pods. This annual is only sensi- 
tive in the foliola, but extremely sensible of 
the touch or air. 
9. The cornigera, or horned Mexican mi- 
mosa, commonly called great horned acacia, 
has a shrubby, upright, deformed stem, 
branching irregularly, armed with very large 
horn-like white spines, by pairs, connected at 
the base; bipinnated leaves thinly placed; 
i and flowers growing in spikes. This species 
is esteemed a curiosity for the oddity of its 
large spines, resembling the horns of animals, 
and which are often variously wreathed, 
twisted, and contorted. 
10. The farnesiana, or fragrant acacia, 
! grows in woodlands and waste lands in most 
! parts of Jamaica ; rising to 25 or 30 feet, with 
j suitable thickness. Formerly the flowers of 
this tree were used as an ingredient in the 
thcriaca andromadii of the old dispensatories. 
I The tree is sometimes planted for a hedge or 
fence round inclosures ; and the timber, 
; though small, is useful in rural economy. 
11. The arborea, or wild tamarind-tree, is 
common in all the woodlands, and especially 
near where settlements have been made, in 
Jamaica. It rises to a considerable height, 
and is proportionably thick. The timber is 
excellent, and serves many purposes in rural 
economy : it is of the colour of cedar, pretty 
hard, and takes a good polish. The leaves 
are numerous ; the flowers globular and 
white. The pods are about a foot in length, 
of a fine scarlet colour ; when they are ripe 
they open and become twisted. The seeds 
then appear. 
12. The latifolfa, shag-bark, or white wild 
tamarind. This excellent timber-tree is very 
common in Jamaica, and rises to a moderate 
height and good thickness. The trunk is 
rough and scaly : the leaves are numerous, 
of a rhomboidal figure, and yellowish cast. 
The flower-spikes are from the axilla? ; their 
colour is yellow. The seed-vessels are flat, 
jointed, and twisted. The seeds are of the 
bigness of a vetch, white, and finely streaked 
with blue. 
13. The lebeck, or ebony-tree. This is a 
native of the East Indies, but raised from seeds 
in Jamaica and St. Vincent’s. 
14. The scandens, cacoons, or mafootoo 
wyth, is frequent in all the upland valleys 
and woodlands on the nortlTside of Jamaica. 
It climbs up the tallest tfees, and spreads it- 
self in every direction by means of its cirrhi, 
or claspers, so as to form a complete arbour, 
and to cover the space of an English acre 
from one root. This circumstance has a bad 
effect on the trees or bushes so shaded ; 
light, air, and rain, (so necessary for all 
plants,) being shut out, the leaves drop oft) 
the tree gradually rots, and the limbs fall 
down by the weight of this parasite. 
The roots of this plant run superficially 
under the ground or herbage. The trunk is 
seldom thicker than a man’s thigh ; and sends 
off many branches, with numerous shining 
green leaves, each of which terminates in a 
tendril or clasper, that serves to fasten it to 
trees or bushes. The flower-spikes are from 
the axillas : they are slender, and the florets 
on them small and numerous. The pod is 
perhaps the largest and longest in the world ;* 
being sometimes eight or niue feet in length* 
