Melianthus
(from meli, honey, and anthos, a flower; calyces full of honey). Honey Flower. ORD. Sapindaceae. A small genus (four species) of half-hardy or greenhouse, glaucous or canescent, often strongly scented shrubs; they are natives of the Cape of Good Hope, but one is found on the Himalayas, where it has been introduced. Flowers shortly pedicellate, bracteate; lower ones sometimes apetalous; racemes terminal and axillary; calyx five-parted; petals five, narrow, long-clawed. Leaves alternate, stipulate, impari-pinnate; leaflets unequally toothed, decurrent. The species most frequently seen in cultivation is M. major; this is a very ornamental plant, and is largely employed in sub-tropical gardening. It is not, strictly speaking, hardy, but thrives very well in the open air, throughout the year, if the roots are protected, in the winter, by a covering of leaves. It makes an admirable conservatory plant. Propagated by seeds, or by cuttings, which latter strike freely under a hand glass.
M. comosus (tufted). fl. green at base; sepals and petals orange-yellow within, the larger marked externally with a red spot. Autumn. l. 4in. to 6in. long; leaflets lanceolate, serrate. h. 3ft. to 5ft. Greenhouse. (B. M. 301, under name of M. minor.) M. major (great).* fl. brownish, in rather long spikes springing from the axils of the upper leaves. Summer. l. stem-clasping, smooth, glaucous; leaflets four or five, large, deeply cut into acute divisions. Stems hollow, woody at base. h. 4ft. to 6ft. 1688. Greenhouse. (B. R. 45.) M. minor (small). fl. dark brown, in whorls; racemes axillary, elongated, drooping. August. l. smooth above and hoary beneath. h. 5ft. 1696. Greenhouse. M. pectinatus (pectinate). fl. in whorls of four to six; petals four, scarlet, clawed; disk fleshy, horseshoe-shaped; racemes terminal, erect, 4in. to 8in. long. Winter. fr. 3/4in. in diameter, cruciately four-winged. l. 3in. to 5in. long, shortly petioled, glabrous above, white-tomentose beneath, pinnate; pinnules six to ten pairs, opposite, linear-strap-shaped. h. 6ft. to 10ft. A singular and beautiful conservatory plant. (B. M. 6557, under name of M. Trimenianus.) M. Trimenianus (Dr. Trimen's). A synonym of M. pectinatus.