MEL 
of the Triandria Digynia class and order. 
Natural order of Gramina, Gramineae or 
Grasses. Essential character: calyx two- 
valved, two-flowered, witli the rudiment of 
one or two florets that are abortive, be- 
tween the two others. There are fourteen 
species. 
MELICOCCA, in botany, a genus of the 
Gctandria Monogynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Sapindi, Jussieu. Essential 
character : calyx four-parted ; petals four, 
bent back below the calyx ; stigma sub- 
peltate ; drupe or berry coriaceous. There 
is but one species, viz. M. bijuga, a middle 
sized tree with spreading branches ; it is a 
native of South America, and cultivated 
both in the East and West Indies ; it thrives 
well in the low lands about Kingston in Ja- 
maica, sometimes rising to the height of 
eighteen feet or more ; the fruit is mellow, 
growing to the size of a large plum. 
MELICOPE, in botany, a genus of the 
Octandria Monogynia class and order. Es- 
sential character : calyx inferior, four- 
leaved ; petals four ; nectary glands four, 
twin ; capsule four, one-seeded. There is 
but one species, viz. M. ternata, a native of 
New Zealand. 
MELICYTUS, in botany, a genus of the 
Dioecia Pentandria class and order. Es- 
sential character : calyx five-toothed ; co- 
rolla five-petalled, three times as long as the 
calyx ; nectary five scales ; male anthers 
five, without filaments, fastened to the in- 
side of the nectary : female stigma flat- 
tened out, four or five lobed ; capsule ber- 
ried, one celled ; seeds nestling. There is 
but one species, viz. M. ramiflorus, a native 
of New Zealand. 
MELISSA, in botany, baum or balm, a 
genus of the Sidynamia Gymnospermia 
class and order. Natural order of Verticil- 
latae. Labiatae, Jussieu. Essential cha- 
racter : calyx dry, flatlish above ; upper 
lip subfastigiate ; corolla, upper lip some- 
what arched, bifid ; lower lip with the mid- 
dle lobe heart-shaped. There are six species, 
of which M. officinalis, common garden 
balm, has a perennial root and an annual 
stalk, which is square, branching from two 
to three feet high ; leaves by pairs at each 
joint, two inches and a half long; the 
flowers grow in loose small bunches from 
the axils in whorls, upon single peduncles of 
a white or yellowish colour. Baum or 
balm is a native of the southern parts of 
Europe, especially in mountainous situa- 
tions. 
MELITTIS, in botany, bastard baum, a 
genus of the Didynamia Gimnospcrmia 
class and order. Natural order of Vertb 
cillatae. Labiatas, Jussieu. Essential cha- 
racter: calyx wider than the tube of the 
corolla ; corolla, upper lip flat, lower cre- 
nated ; anthers crosswise. There are two 
species, ciz. M. melissophyllum, bastard 
baum, and M. japonica ; the former has a 
perensdal root, sending up tliree or four 
stems about a foot and a half in height ; 
leaves opposite, pctioled, elliptic, a little 
pointed ; flowers large and handsome, 
growing principally on one side ; peduncles 
round, hairy, and axillary ; much honey is 
secreted from a gland that encircles the 
base of the germ, for which reason it is a fa- 
vourite plant with bees. Native of several 
parts of Europe. 
MELLATES, in chemistry, a genus of 
salts formed from the Mellitic acid, which 
see. 
MELLITE, or honey-stone, in minera- 
logy, takes its name from the yellow colour 
like that of honey. Its primitive figure is 
an octahedron, formed by four-sided pyra- 
mids, the common base of which is a perfect 
square. The crystals are small, their sur- 
face is commonly smooth and shining. In- 
ternally it is splendent with a lustre be- 
tween, vitreous and resinous. It is tianspa- 
rent, passing into the opaque, and possesses 
a double refraction. It is softer than amber 
and brittle. Specific gravity is from about 
1.5 to 1.7. It becomes electric by friction, 
but continues so but a short time. From 
some experiments of Klaprotli, the consti- 
tuent parts of mellite are. 
Silica 1.375 
Iron 0.125 
Alumina 14.5 
Mellitic acid. Water, and Loss 84. 
100 . 
This mineral is not often to be met with ; 
hitherto it has been found at jEtern in 
Thuringia ; in the district of Saal ; and in 
Switzerland. It occurs on bituminous 
wood, and earthy coal, and is commonly ac- 
companied with sulphur. 
MELLITIC acid, in chemistry, is pro- 
cured from the substance just described, by 
the following process. The mineial is re- 
duced to powder, and boiled with about 72 
times its weight of water ; the alumina is 
precipitated in the form of flakes, and the 
acid combines with the water. By filtra- 
tion and evaporation, crystals are deposited, 
which are the crystals of mellitic acid; they 
