Muehlenbeckia
(named after Dr. H. G. Muehlenbeck, 1798-1845, a Swiss physician.) SYN. Sarcogonum. ORD. Polygoneae. A genus comprising about fifteen species of greenhouse or hardy, often climbing, shrubs or sub-shrubs, natives of Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and extra-tropical South America, or the Andes. Flowers small, within sheathing fasciculate bracts; fascicles sometimes solitary in the axils, often in short, axillary or terminal, simple or paniculate, spikes or small racemes; perianth five-fid. Nut obtuse or acutely trigonal. Leaves alternate, petiolate, sometimes small and sub-orbiculate, sometimes large and cordate, deltoid, or sagittate. Only three species call for description in this work. M. complexa is a hardy climber of great beauty. It enjoys a sunny position, and well drained or sandy soil, and makes an effective subject for the upper and drier parts of the rockwork, where it forms a dense prostrate bush. In habit, it is dense and diffuse, and, from the distinct form and colour of its foliage, together with the graceful shape of the spray-like branches, it is most desirable and valuable for cutting purposes. All the species are propagated by cuttings, which should be taken in early summer, becoming thereby nicely rooted before winter sets in; the hardy ones may be put in any shady position out of doors (though a frame is preferable), and the greenhouse species planted in pots in heat.
M. adpressa (adpressed). fl. pink, small, in many-flowered, panicled spikes. Nut black, trigonous. l. 1/2in. to 2in. long, petioled, cordate or broadly oblong and truncate at base, obtuse, acute, or apiculate, glabrous, in young plants trilobed. Australia, &c., 1822. A large, rambling, and climbing, leafy, greenhouse bush. SYN. Polggonum adpressum (under which name it is figured in B. M. 3145).
M. complexa (embracing). fl. green, inconspicuous. August, fr. of a transparent wax-like substance, the tooth-like divisions glistening like miniature icicles, hanging in small clusters on lateral shoots from the more ripened stems. l. alternate, somewhat fiddle-shaped, distant. New Zealand, 1870. Hardy.
M. platyclada (flat-branched). fl. white, in lateral, few or many-flowered fascicles, sub-sessile. Blossoms almost throughout the year. Berries bright red, finally dark purple. l. membranous, hastate, oblong-lanceolate, or hastate-lanceolate. Branches leafless or sparsely foliate. Solomon Islands, 1863. A remarkable, glabrous, erect, greenhouse shrub. SYN. Coccoloba platyclada (under which name it is figured in B. M. 5382.)