835 M T C MIC 
longer than the calyx, of one petal, nearly bell-fliaped ; 
tube very ihort, fmooth within ; limb in four deep un¬ 
equal fegments, obfoletely two-lipped, its upper fegment 
final left. Stamina: filaments two, incurved towards each 
other, with an appendage at thebafe; anthers of two 
rouudiih lobes. Piftillum : germen fuperior, almoft glo¬ 
bular ; ltyle Ihort, rather declined ; ftigrna capitate, de- 
prefl’ed, oblique. Pericarpium : capl'ule nearly globular, 
clothed with the permanent calyx, of one cell and two 
valves. Seeds : numerous, ovate, finely llriated, fefiile 
upon the central deprelted receptacle.— Eff'antial Character. 
Corolla unequally four-cleft; ftamens with an appendage 
at their bale; capfule of one cell and two valves ; feeds 
numerous ; calyx inferior, in four deep fpatulate perma¬ 
nent fegments. 
Micrantlremum orbiculatum, Michanx, p. 10. t. 2. 
(Anonymos umbrofa, Wait. Carotin. 63. Globifera urn- 
brofa, Gmel. ii. 32.) a {ingle fpecies. Stems proftrate, 
branched, a fpan long, thread-fhaped, leafy, lmooth, like 
every other part of the herb. Leaves oppofite, fefiile, 
nearly orbicular, entire, one-fourth of an inch long, with 
one rib, and feveral nearly-longitudinal veins. Flowers 
axillary, alternate, folitary, on Ihort capillary fintple ltalks, 
not half the length of the leaves, white, the fize of a fmall 
pin's head. Native of damp lhady places, in the woods 
of Carolina and Georgia, flowering in Auguft. 
MICRAN'THUS, J’. in botany. See Phaylopsis. 
MICRE'LIUS (John), a very learned German Lu¬ 
theran divine, was born at Cafiin, in Pomerania, in the 
year 1597. He purfued his theological courl’e at Stettin, 
and became diftinguiihed for his induftry and talents. 
He took his degrees, in fuccefiion, with much applaule. 
In 1653, he made a voyage to Sweden ; and received many 
tokens of refpeCf, and teffimonies of liberality, from queen 
Cliriftina. He died in 1658, leaving behind him feveral 
works of great learning and refearch. Among thele may 
be mentioned, 1. Lexicon Philologicum. 2. Lexicon 
Philofophicum. 3. Syntagma Hiftoriae Mundi. 4. Syn¬ 
tagma Hitt. Ecclefias. Some fchool-books, as Arithme¬ 
tics, Ulus Globorum, &c. and a vaft number of Thefes, 
Orations, &c. 
MICROCARPAs'A, f. [from the Gr. ptypoi;, fmall; 
and napirc?, fruit.] In botany, the name of a genus pro- 
poled by Mr. Brown (Prodr. Nov. Holl. 435.) to include 
the Limofella diandra and the Hedyotis maritima. See 
thole articles, vol. ix. and xii. 
MICROCAR'PON, f. in botany, a genus of the clafs 
cryptogamia, order fungi. Generic eflential chara&er— 
Fungus with a membranous cafe opening irregularly, 
filled with feminiferous filaments reticulately compact 
and affixed to the bafe. • 
Microcarpon nigrum, or black microcarpon ; the only 
fpecies known. Schrader. 
MICROCHLO'A, /! [from the Gr. ytypoe, fmall, and 
X^ox, grafs.] In botany, the name of a genus propoled to 
be inftituted by Mr. Brown (Prodr. Nov. Holl. p. 208.) 
for an improved defeription of the Nardus Indica, or In¬ 
dian mat-grafs. See that article. 
MICROCO'RYS, J'. [from the Gr. /xu-go;, fmall, and 
a helmet; alluding to the Ihortnels of the upper 
lip of the flow'er.] In botany, a genus of the clafs didy- 
namia, order gymnolpermia, natural order verticillats, 
Linn, (labiats, Jvff.) Generic eflential character—Calyx 
femi-five-cleft; corolla ringent; its concave upper lip 
very Ihort; middle fegment of the lower lip broadeft. 
Two upper ttamens included, the fertile lobe of their 
anthers linooth, the empty one bearded: two lower with 
deeply cloven abortive anthers. This is a genus of flirubs, 
found by Mr. R. Brown in the fouth part of New Holland. 
All the (three) fpecies have entire leaves, three in a whorl; 
flowers axillary, folitary, either white or purple, each with 
two braCtes. 
1. Microcorys virgata : leaves linear, obtufe, fmooth 
like the calyx ; brakes deciduous j fejui erect, with thread- 
fhaped brattfiies. 
v. Microcorys barbata : leaves linear, obtufe, fmooth; 
calyx and corolla externally hairy ; braCtes deciduous ; 
item diftufe. 
3. Microcorys purpurea : leaves oval-oblong, recurved 
at the margin ; minutely downy on both fldes; dotted 
beneath. Young branches filky; calyx hoary; braftes 
briftle-ihaped, permanent. 
MICRO'COS, J". in botany. See Grewia microcos". 
MI'CROCOSM, f. [from the Gr. pixpos, little; and 
xoay.oc, world.] A Greek term, literally flgnifying “ little 
world ;” chiefly underftood of man, w’ho is fo called by 
■way of eminence, as being an epitome of all that is won¬ 
derful in the great world, or macrocofm. —Philoiophers fay, 
that man is a microcojin , or little world, refembling in, 
miniature every part of the great; and the body-natural 
may be compared to the body politick. Swift. 
As in this our microcofm , the heart 
Heat, fpirit, motion, gives to every part : 
So Rome’s victorious influence did difperfe- 
All her own virtues through the univerfe. Denham. 
MICROCOS'METER, a name given by Dolsus to an 
imaginary being, which he luppofes to refide in the brain, 
and diredt all the aCtions. 
MICROCOS'MICAE, adj. Pertaining to the micro- 
cofm.—Calculate thyfelf within ; feek not thyfelf in the 
moon, but in thine own orb or microcofmical circumfer¬ 
ence. Brown's Chr. Mur. 
MICROCOSMOG'RAPHY, f [from microcofm , and 
ypxtpu, to write.] A defeription of man as a little world. 
Scott. 
M ICROCOU'STICS, f. See Microfhones. 
MICROG'RAPHY, j. [from the Gr. pixpos, fmall; 
and y^ciQu, to write.] The defeription of the parts of fucli 
very fmall objeCts as are difcernible only with a microi- 
copc.—The honey-bag is the ftomach, which they always- 
fill to fatisfy and to fpare, vomiting up the greater part of 
the honey to be kept againft winter; a curious deferip- 
tion,and figure of the fling fee in Mr. Hook’s micrography .- 
Grew, 
MICROLAE'NA,/. [formed of the Gr. yixpos, finally 
and Xr.i 0?, wool; alluding to the little bearded italk of th» 
flower within the calyx.] In botany, a genus of the clafs 
tetrandria, order digynia, natural order gramina. Generic 
eflential character—Calyx lingle-flowered, of two minuttf 
valves ; corolla fupported by a bearded ftalk, longer than 
the calyx, double, each of two valves, fmooth ; thole of 
the outermoft nearly equal, each with a terminal awn j 
neCtary of two oppofite feales, alternate with the valves of 
the corolla ; ftigmas fefiile, feathery. The only Ipecies is 
MicrolasnattipoidesjLflwcw; (Ehrhartaftipoides,i,«fo7/.) 
Gathered by M. Labillardiere in Van Diemen’s Land, and 
by Mr. Brown at Port Jackfon. It is a lmooth grafs, 
about a foot and a half high. Stem round, llender. Ample, 
leafy ; leaves lpreading, Ihort, flat, taper-pointed, with 
very long Iheaths, and a jagged ftipule ; panicle a fpan 
long, capillary, drooping, Amply branched. The bearded 
Italk on which the flower Hands within the calyx, and the 
long awned glumes, give this grafs the al’peCt of an An- 
dropogon, or Stipa. The French author deicribes and 
figures iix ftamens, and therefore referred the plant to 
Ehkharta, with which it has no other charaCler in com¬ 
mon, nor lcarcely any agreement in afpeCt. Mr. Brown, 
after repeated examinations, declares it to be certainly te- 
trandrous. The ftigmas are two, fefiile and feathery. 
Seed elliptic-oblong, llightly comprelfed, enclofed in the 
permanent hulks of the corolla. The neCtary is ex¬ 
tremely minute. Brown Nov. Iloll. 210. Labill. Nov. 
Holl. 91 . 
MICROLEUCONYMPHAL'A, f. in botany, one of 
Boerhaave’s fefquipedalian names, iuch as he diftribnted 
plentifully among the Proteaceous family, and which is 
equivalent to fmall-white-water-lily. He applied it to 
the plant nowjnore happily termed Hydrocharis ; fee 
.that article. 
MICROLO'GUS, 
