MEL ' MEL 
MEL MEN 
under a glass in heat. Synonytne : 1. Scytalia 
trijuga. 
bijuga .... Yellow . S. Er. T. Antilles . 1778 
olivaefonnla . . Yellow . S. Ev. T. N. Granada 1824 
paniculata ... S. Ev. T. St. Domin. . 1820 
trijuga, 1 . . . S. Ev. T. Ceylon . . 1820 
Meucopb, Forster. From met, honey, and hope, a 
division ; in allusion to the honey glands at the 
base of the ovaries. Linn. 8, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Rutacete. 
An ornamental shruo, growing freely in loam and 
peat ; and cuttings of the young wood root in sand, 
under a glass. 
ternata .... White . . G. Ev. S. N. ZeaL . 1822 
Mklilot, see MelilOlus. 
Melilotus, Tourn^ort. From meZ, honey, and lotus; 
honey lotus. The plants are similar to the Lotus, 
and are the favourite haunt of bees. Linn. 14, Or. 
10, Nat. Or. Leguminosa:. Very few of these plants 
are worth cultivating except in general collections. 
M- arborea is readily increttsed by cuttings. The 
seed of the other kinds only requires to he sown in 
the open border in spring. Synonymes : 1. M. alba. 
2. M. plicata. 3. Trifolium Kochianum. 4 M. vul- 
garis. 5. Trifolium Melilotus officinalis. 6. M. 
rugulosa. 7. M. mauritanica. 
altissima, 1 . . White . 7, H. " B. France . .1816 
arbdrea .... White . 7, H. Ev. S. Turkey . . 1826 
officinalis, 5 . . Yellow . 8, H. A. Britain . . 
pallida .... Pa. yel. . 8, H. B. Volhinia . 1816 
segetalls . . . Yellow . 7, H. A. Spain . . 1820 
Buaveolens . . . YeUow . 7, H. Her. P. Daliuria . 1824 
arvgnsis, Baumltti, BesseriSnd 2, dentati, grdcilis, 
Indlca, italicd, Kochidnd 3, leucdntha 4, linearis^ 
macrorhizi, melanospgmui,messanensls, neapolitand , 
palQstris, parviJlOrd 6, Petitpierrednd, polOnicd, 
rotundifblid, ruthlnicd, sulcata 7, tafiricd. 
Melissa, Bentham. From melissa, a bee; the bees 
obtain a great quantity of honey from the Balm. 
Linn. 14, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Labiatce. These plants 
will grow in common garden soil, and are readily 
increased by dividing the roots. Synonymes: 1. 
M. altistima, M. cord\folia. 2. Horminum pyrenai- 
cum. 
cretica .... Wht. pur. 6, H. Her. P. Candia . . 1596 
officinalis . . . White . . 7, H. Her. P. S. Eur. . . 1573 
variegata . . White . . 6, H. Her. P. Gardens 
villOsa, 1 . . yVhite . . 8, H. Her. P. Italy . .1573 
polyanthOs. . . White. . 7, H. Her. P. . 1820 
pyrenaica, 2 . . Wht. pur. 7. H. Her. P. PjTcnees . 1800 
Mblitta, Linn. From melitta, a.hee ; a name syno- 
nymous with Melissa. Linn. 14, Or. 1, Nat. Or. 
Labiatce. These are showy plant# when in flower, 
and are, on that account, well fitted for ornament- 
ing flower-borders and shrubberies. They are in- 
creased by dividing the roots in spring or autumn. 
Synonyme : 1. M. grandijlora. 
Meli^sophyllum' . Flesh . . 5, H. Her. P. England 
alpina . . . Flesh . . 5, H. Her. P. Svvitzerl. . 
grandiflora, 1 . Wht yeL 5, H. Her. P. England 
Melliferous, honey -bearing. 
Mblocactus, C. Bauhin. From melos, a melon, and 
cactus ; in allusion to the appearance of the plants. 
Linn. 12, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Cactncece. This is a genus 
of grotesque-looking plants. They are well worthy 
of a place in every collection of plants, and require 
precisely the same treatment as the Mummillarias. 
Synonymes: 1. Cactus Melocactus. 2. C. macracun- 
tha. 3. M. Besleri 4. Echinocactus polyacaniha. 
6. E. Sellowii. 
amoenus . . . Li. scar. . S. Ev. S. . 1835 
communis, 1 . . Red . . 7, S. Ev. S. W. Ind. . 1688 
viridis ... S. Et. S. . 1836 
depress&s . . . Scarlet . S. Ev. S. Pernambuco 
excavSttis ... S. Ev. S. . 1834 
Grengein ... S. Ev. S. St Thos. Is. 1836 
macracanthS, 2 . Wht. red . S. Ev. S. S. Amer. . 1820 
maerSntha . . . Wht red . S. Ev. S. S. Amer. . 1820 
meonacanthus . S. Ev. S. Jamaica . 1835 
octagonhs ... S. Ev. S. Mexico. . 1834 
placentiformis, 3 . Red . . S. Ev. S. Brazil . . 
polyacSutha, 4 . S. Ey. S. Brazil . . 
pyramidAlIs . . Red . . S. Ev. S. Curacoa . 1824 
spinis-rubris . S. Ev. S. 
SalmiSnus .... S. Ev. S. . 1835 
Sellowu, 5 . . . S. Ev. S. Brazil, . . 
Mklocanna, Kcempfer. From melon, an apple, and 
kanna, a reed. Linn. 6, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Graminece. 
This species is nearly allied to Bambusa ; it is 
readily increased by suckers. Synonyme : 1. Bam- 
busa baccifera. 
bambusoldes, 1 . . Apetal . . 7> Grass. E. Ind. . .1818 
Mblochia, Linn. Altered from JfeZoc/iicA, the Arabic 
name of Corchorus olitorius, which is used in the 
East as a salad-plant. Linn. 16, Or. 2, Nat. Or. 
Sterculiaceae. Plants of little beauty. Any light 
rich soil suits them ; and cuttings root freely in the 
same kind of .soil, under a glass, in heat. 
parviflorS . . . Purple . 7, S. Ev. S. Caraccas . 1820 
parvifOlia . . . White. . 6, S. Ev. S. Trinidad . 1819 
pyramidatd . . Flesh . . 5, S. Ev. S. Brazil . . 1768 
tomentosa . . . Purple . 5, S. Ev. S. W. Ind. . 1768 
Melodinus, Forster. From melon, an apple, and 
dineo, to turn round. Linn. 5, Or. 2, Nat. Or. 
Apocynacece. Ornamental plants, well worth cul- 
tivation for the sake of their showy flowers. They 
grow well in a mixture of loam and peat ; and cut- 
tings w'ill root in sand, under a glass, in heat, 
monogynus . . White . 7. S. Ev. Tw. E. Ind. . . 1820 
scandens . . . MGiite . 7» S. Ev. Tw. N. Caled. . 1775 
Melon, see Cucumis M?l6. 
Melon-pumpkin, see CucUrbUd MelopSpS. 
Melon-thistle, see Melocnc/us- 
Melon-turk’s-cap, see MelocSctds comments. 
Meloseira, Agardh. From melon, a melon, and 
seira, a chain; shape of the filaments. Linn. 24, 
Or. 7, Nat. Or. Algce. Very minute species, found 
in salt marshes, rivulets, &c. — disclgSrd, lineutd, 
nummuloldls. 
Melothria, Linn. From melothron of Theophrastus ; 
supposed to be Bryony. Linn. 21, Or. 2, Nat. Or. 
Cucurbitacere. A mere weed ; it grows in any rich 
soil, and is increased by seeds. Synonyme : 1. Tri- 
chosanihes feetidissima — feetida 1, pendula. 
Membranaceous, or mesuiranous, having the texture 
of a membrane. 
MEMBCifiiiN, Linn. From memecylon of Dioscorides; 
the Greek name of the fruit of the Arbutiu. Linn. 
8, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Memecylacece. The soil best 
adapted to the growth of these plants is a mixture 
of peat, loam, and sand ; and cutting? of the young 
wood root freely in sand, under a glass, in heat. 
capitellAtum . . • 7» S. Ev. S. E. Ind. . . 1796 
edule .... Purple . S. Ev. T. Ceylon . . 1820 
Mrniocus, Desfontaines. From mene, the moon, and 
okkos, the eye ; supposed to refer to the shape of 
the seeds. Linn 15, Nat. Or. Cruciferce. A pretty 
little annual, well fitted for ornamenting rock- 
work. The seed may be sown where it is to remain. 
Synonyme: \. Alyssum linifolius. 
linifollua, 1 . . Wliite . . 6, H. A. Caucasus . 1819 
MeniscTum, Schreber. From meniskos, a crescent; 
alluding to the shape of the fructification. Linn. 
24, Or. 1, Nat. Or. Polypodiacece. This is a very 
elegant genus of ferns. They thrive well in loam 
and peat, and are increased by dividing the roots, 
or by seeds. Synonymes: 1. Hemionitis prolifera. 
2. Poly podium reticulatum. 3. Asplenium sorbifulium. 
prollferum, 1 . . Brown . 5, S. Her. P. E. Ind. . . 1820 
reliculatucD, 2 . Brown . 5, S. Her. P. Martinique 1793 
sorbifolium, 3 . . Brown . S. Her. P. Brazil . . 1823 
Menispermum, Linn. From mene, the moon, and 
sperma, a seed ; the fruit is kidney or half-moon- 
shaped ; whence the English name. Moon-seed. 
Linn. 22, Or. 10, Nat. Or. Menispermaceoe. This 
genus is chiefly composed of hardy plants, well 
adapted for covering arbours or trellis-w'ork. They 
grow in any common soil, and may be increased by 
dividing the roots, or by cuttings planted early in 
spring in a sheltered situation, or by seeds. Syno- 
nymes : 1. M. virginicum. 2. Cissampelos smilacina. 
canadense . . . Gm. yeL . 6, H. De. Tw. N. Amer. . 1691 
lobatum, 1 . . Grn. yeL . 6, H. De. Tw. N. Amer. . 1732 
daurtcum . . . Wht. yeL . 6, H. De. Tw. Daurra . 1810 
Lvonu .... Purple . 6, H. De. Tw. N. Amer. . 1823 
planiffillum . . Yellow . & Ev. Tw. E. Ind. . 1828 
smilacinum, 2 . . Grn. yel. . H. Ev. Tw. Carolina . 1776 
MenonvIllea, Decandolle. In honour of M. Thiery 
de Menonville, an enterprising French naturalist. 
Linn. 15, Nat. Or. Cruciferce. Rather a pretty 
hardy plant, growing freely in light loamy soil, 
and is increased by seeds. 
filifdlia .... Grsh. wht 8, H. A. Chile . . 1836 
Menstruum, a liquor used as a dissolvent. 
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