132 
DICTIONARY OF THE 
Maternal love. Moss. See p. 79. 
Meanness. Dodder. 
The seed of the dodder germinates in the ground; but as 
soon as its stem encounters that of another plant* it fastens 
itself to it; the root dries up, and it lives entirely at the 
expense of the other. Like a vile parasite, it absorbs all 
the juices of its supporter, and soon kills it. 
Melancholy, Weeping Willow. Dead Leaves. See p. 18. 
“ The melancholy days are come, 
The saddest of the year, 
Of wailing winds, and naked woods, 
And meadows brown and sere. 
Heaped in the hollows of the grove, 
The withered leaves lie dead; 
They rustle to the eddying gust, 
And to the rabbit’s tread.” 
Bryant. 
A modern French poet, V. de Laprade, has also written a 
beautiful poem, beginning Feuilles, tombez. 
Message, Common Garden Iris. 
There are more than thirty varieties of the iris. Its varied 
and beautiful colors have caused it to be named from the 
lovely messenger of the gods. Orris root is the root of the 
Florentine iris. The Persian iris is very fragrant. 
Misanthropy, Teasel. 
Mistrust, Lavender. 
It was formerly believed that asps had their lurking-places 
under lavender, and therefore this plant was approached 
with mistrust. Lavender is a grateful perfume, and a specific 
for headaches and nervousness. 
