MEL 
MEL MEL 
mTndr, 4 . . . White . . S. Ev. S. E. Ind. . . 1800 
nodosa .... Pa. yel. . 6, G. Ev. S. N. S. W. . 1790 
. . .Red' . . 8,G.Ev. S.N.H 0 II. . 803 
venduUna ... G. Ev. &. N. Holl. . 1820 
~nt^na . ! . G. Ev. S. N. HolL . 1820 
pulchella . . . Purple . 7. G. Ev. S. N. Holl. . 1803 
rotundifOUa . . . 7, G. Ev. S. N. HolL . 1816 
scabra .... Puiple . 5, G. Ev. S. N. Holl. . 1803 
squamsa . . . Lilac . . 6, G. Ev. S. V. D. L. . 1805 
squarrdsa . . . White . . G. Ev. S. N. S. W. . 1794 
striata .... Purple . 6, G. Ev. S. N. Holl. . 1803 
stypbeloides, 5 . White . . 6, G. Ev. S. N. S. W. . 1793 
ta^fdlia . . . G. Ev. S. N. Holl. . 
tetrasona ... G. Ev. S. N. Holl. . 1820 
thesefonnis . . G. Ev. S. N. Holl. . 1824 
thymifdlta, 6 . . Purple . 8, G. Ev. S. N. S. W. . 1792 
thymoidas . . . Purple . G. Ev. S. N. Holl. . 1803 
trinervia ... G. Ev. S. N. HolL . 1816 
uncinata . . . Purple . 7» G. Ev. S. N. HolL . 1803 
Tirrati-i .... G. Ev. S. N. HolL . 1818 
viridifldra ... Green . . G. Ev. T. N. S. W. . 1777 
Mklampodium, Linn. From melas, black, and pous, 
a foot ; in .allusion to the seeds. Linn. 19, Or. 4, 
Nat. Or. Composite. Uninteresting plants; they 
require to be sown and treated as other tender 
annuals. Synonxjmes : 1. M. ovalifolium, Wedelia 
minor, Alcina ovalifolia, Dyssodium divaricatum — 
americdnum, hlspidum, hftmile, longifdllum, palu~ 
dosam 1. 
Mklampykum, Linn. From melas, black, and pyros, 
wheat. Linn. 14, Or. 2, Nat. Or. Scrophulariacece. 
Annual weeds, which require to be sown in the 
open ground — arvense, cristdtum, nemorOsdm, pra- 
tensS, sylvaticum. 
Melanantheka, Richard. From melas, black, and 
anthera, an anther; alluding to the colour of the 
anthers. Linn. 19, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Composite. 
Uninteresting plants, growing in any common soil, 
and increased by divisions and seeds. Synonymes ; 
1. Calea aspera. 2. Bidens nivea — deltoided 1, has- 
tuta 2, h. pandurutd. 
Melanconium, Link. From melas, black, and konis, 
dust; in allusion to the black dusty appearance of 
the species. Linn. 24, Or. 9, Nat. Or. Fungi. 
These are very minute plants, found on dead 
branches of trees — conglomerdtum, ovdtOm. 
MELANOCAuinN, black-stemmed. 
Melanorkh^ea, Wallich. From melas, black, and 
rheo, to flow; when wounded it yields a black 
juice. Linn. 23, Or. 2, Nat. Or. Anacardiacece. 
This splendid tree attains the height of a hundred 
feet; it grows in peat and loam, and cuttings of the 
ripened wood root freely in sand, under a glass, in 
heat. The varnish of Martaban is obtained from 
this tree ; it is known in that country by the name 
of Theet-see, or Kheu, and is extremely dangerous, 
as the skin, if rubbed with it, inflames, and becomes 
covered with pimples, which are difficult to heal, 
usttatissima . . Red . . S. Ev. T. E. Ind. . . 1829 
Melanoskiunum, Hnff'mansegg. From melas, black, 
and selinon, parsley. Linn. 5, Or. 2, Nat. Or. Urn- 
belliferas. This plant grows in any common soil, 
and is increased by divisions. Synonyme: 1. Seli- 
num decipiens 
decipiens . . . tVhite . . 6, H. Her. P. Madeira . 1785 
Melakoxylon, black- wooded. 
Melananthon, dark-flowered. 
MelanthiDm, Linn. From melas, black, and anthos, 
a flower ; in allusion to the dusky colour of the 
flowers. Linn. 6, Or. 3, Nat. Or. Melanthacex. The 
plants of this genus deserve a place in every col- 
lection; for culture and propagation, see Massonia. 
Synonyme: 1. Tutipa Breyniana. 
capensS .... Yellow . 5, G. Bl. P. C. G. H. . 1768 
ciliitum ... Pa. yei. . 6, G. Bl. P. C. G. H. . 1810 
(rramineum . . White . . 5, G. Bl. P. Madagore . 1823 
jiinceura . . . Pink . . 9, G. BL P. C. G. H. . 1788 
phalangioides . . White. . 6, G. Bl. P. Carolina . 1810 
Tecundiim . . . White. . 9, G. Bl. P. C. G H. . 1812 
siblricum ... G. Bl. P. Siberia . . 1823 
uniflorum, 1 . . WhL yel. . 6, G. BL P. C. G. H. . 1787 
Melasph.«rula, Ker. From melas, black, and sphaira, 
a globule ; dark colour of the bulbs. Linn. 3, Or. 
1, Nat. Or. Iridacex. These handsome plants re- 
quire to be treated similar to the Ixias. Synonyme : 
1 . M. graminea. 
gramXneS . . . Green . . 6, G. BL P. C. G. H. . 1787 
intermedia, 1 . . Yel. gm. . 6, G. Bl. P. C. G. H. . 1787 
iridifdixa . . . Grn. yel. . 6, G. BL P. C. G. H. . 1787 
parvifldrd . . . Yellow . 6, G. BL P. C. 0. H. . 
t 201 ] 
Melastoma, Bumnann. From melas, blaak, and 
stoma, the mouth; the black berries of some of the 
species are commonly eaten by children, whose 
mouths they stain black. Linn. 10, Or. 1, Nat. Or. 
Melastomaceae. These plants are very' showy when 
in flower, especially M. elongata ; indeed, this 
plant can hardly be excelled for beauty ; in its 
native habitat its flowers are large, and vary from 
blue to purple and white. Loam, peat, and sand, 
mixed, suit till the species best ; and cuttings of 
the young wood root readily planted in pots filled 
with peat, and placed under a glass, in heat. Sy- 
nonymes: 1. Osbeckia grandiflora. 2. M. malabaih- 
afTinis .... S. Ev. S. E. Ind. . . 1810 
Afzeliana . . . Red . . S. Ev. S. S. Leone . 1824 
aspera .... Purple . 6, S Ev. S. E. Ind. . . 1815 
BanksH. . . .White. . 9, S. Ev. S. N. HolL .1824 
Candida. . . . Purple . S. Ev. S. China . . 1822 
corymbdaS . . . Purple . 6, S. Ev. S. S. Leone . 1792 
cymosa .... Purple . 6, S. Ev. S. S. Amer. . 1792 
ecostata . . . . Purple . 7, S. Ev. S. Jamaica . 1793 
elongata, 1 . . . Purple . 5, S. Tu. P. S. Leone . 1823 
macrocarpa, 2 . . Purple . 6, G. Ev. S. China . . 1793 
malabathrlca . . Purple . 6, S. Ev. S. E. Ind. . . 1793 
sangulnsa . . . Purple . 9, S. Ev. S. China . . 1818 
Melastoma, see PlerSmd. 
Meleagris, freckled, speckled. 
MklhanIa, Forskahl. From Mount Melhan, in 
Arabia Felix, where the original species was first 
found. Linw. 16, Or. 2, Nat. Or. S/ercf//?acc<c. Or- 
namental trees, growing about twenty feet high. 
They thrive best in a mixture of sandy loam, and 
cuttings root readily in the same kind of soil, under 
a glass, in heat. 
BurcheUn . . .White. . G. Ev. T. G. G. H. .1818 
Erythrdxylon . . White . . 7. S. Ev. T. St. Helena . 1772 
Melanoxyldn . . White. . 7» S. Ev. T. St. Helena . 1800 
Melia, Linn. The Greek name of the manna ash; 
resemblance in the leaves. Linn. 14, Or. 10, Nat. 
Or. Meliaceae. Fine trees, thriving well in a mix- 
ture of loam, peat, and sand ; and large cuttings of 
the ripened wood, w'ith the leaves not shortened, 
will root in sand, under a glass ; those of the stove 
species in heat. The root of M. Azedarach is bitter, 
and is used as an anthelmintic in North America. 
The fruit of M. Azadirachta is oily', acrid, and 
bitter, as is also the bark. 
australis . . . Lilac . . G. Ev. T. N. Holl. . 1810 
AzadirachtA . . White . . 7> S. Ev. T. E. Ind. . . 1759 
Azedarach . . . Blue . . 7, G. De. T. Syria . . 1656 
composita . . . Wht. red . 7, S. Ev. T. E. Ind. . . 1810 
excelsa .... White. . 7, G. Ev. T. E. Ind. . . 1819 
guineensii . . . Wht. red . 7> S. Ev. T. Guinea . . 1,824 
robusta .... Wht. red . 7, G. Ev. T. E. Ind. . . 1820 
sempervirens . . Brown . S. Ev. T. Jamaica . 1656 
supcrba .... Wht red . S. Ev. T. E. Ind. . . 1810 
Melianthus, Linn. From mel, honey, and anthos, 
a flower; the flowers are full of honey. Linn. 4, 
Or. 1, Nat. Or. Zygophyllacex. Ornamental shrubs, 
thriving in any light rich soil ; and cuttings root 
freely under a glass. 
comoshs . . . Yellow . G. Ev. S. C. G. H. . 1820 
major .... Brown . 6, H. Ev. S. C. G. H. . 1688 
mlnOr .... Brown . 6, G. Ev. S. C. G. H. . 1696 
MklTca, Linra. From me?, honey ; the Italian name 
of the great millet. Linn. 3, Or. 2, Nat. Or. Gra- 
minsae. Some species of this genus are w'orth 
growing ; they are all of the simplest culture, 
altlssima . . . Apetal . . 7, Grass. Siberia . . 1770 
ciliata . . Apetal . . 7, Grass. Europe . . 1771 
nutans . . Apetal . . 6, Grass. Britain . . 
uniflOra . . . Apetal . . 5, Grass. Britain . 
Bauhinl, gldbrd, pyramiddlis, specidsd, sylvdtlcd. 
Melic-orass, see Melted. 
MeiJchrus, R. Brown. From melichros, honey- 
coloured ; alluding to the colour of the glands of 
the flowers. Linn. 5, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Epacridacem. 
These are very pretty shrubs; for culture and 
propagation, see Epacris. 
mSdIus .... Scarlet . 5, G. Ev. S. N. S. W. . 1824 
rotatus .... Scarlet . 6, G. Ev. S. N. HoU. . 1824 
MelicOcca, Jussieu. From mel, honey, and coccos, 
a berry ; the fruit is very sweet. Linn. 8, Or. 1, 
Nat. Or. Sapindacece. These plants are cultivated 
to a great extent in the West Indies for their eat- 
able fruits. They grow well in a light loamy soil ; 
and cuttings of the ripened wood will root in sand, 
2 D 
