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Erect and tall, or diffuse, glabrous or glutinous: lvs. alternate, rarely opposite, entire or toothed, with pellucid glands: fls. axillary, usually clustered, small or medium-sized, mostly white; calyx 5-cut or 5-parted; corolla somewhat bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, the tube very short or long; lobes usually 5, nearly equal or the anterior perhaps larger; stamens 4, or sometimes 5-6; ovary 2-10-celled: fr. a small more or less succulent drupe.—Species 25-30, Austral.. New Zeal., China, Japan, Pacific Isls. The genus is divided by Bentham & Hooker into 5 sections based on the shape of the fls., the number of the corolla-lobes and stamens, and the number of cells in the ovary. Usually the calyx-segms. are small and narrow, but in one section they are leafy. One of the species (known in cult.as M. parvifolium) was once a favorite heath-like plant in France. In 1883 it was stated in the Garden that for 20 years many thousand plants of it had been sold annually in the flower- markets of Paris. One grower always had a stock of 30,000 plants. The plants were grown in small pots for room and window decoration in spring. "It is most beautiful as seen with its pale green branches drooping gracefully around the pot sides, and more especially so when the shoots are wreathed with sweet, snow-white blossoms." Prop. by cuttings taken in spring. This species is practically unknown in Amer. Some of them are said to be useful in Calif. for planting near the sea- coast. The American gardener may get some general suggestions from the experience recorded under Epacris and Erica.

Erect and tall, or diffuse, glabrous or glutinous: lvs. alternate, rarely opposite, entire or toothed, with pellucid glands: fls. axillary, usually clustered, small or medium-sized, mostly white; calyx 5-cut or 5-parted; corolla somewhat bell-shaped or funnel-shaped, the tube very short or long; lobes usually 5, nearly equal or the anterior perhaps larger; stamens 4, or sometimes 5-6; ovary 2-10-celled: fr. a small more or less succulent drupe.—Species 25-30, Austral.. New Zeal., China, Japan, Pacific Isls. The genus is divided by Bentham & Hooker into 5 sections based on the shape of the fls., the number of the corolla-lobes and stamens, and the number of cells in the ovary. Usually the calyx-segms. are small and narrow, but in one section they are leafy. One of the species (known in cult.as M. parvifolium) was once a favorite heath-like plant in France. In 1883 it was stated in the Garden that for 20 years many thousand plants of it had been sold annually in the flower- markets of Paris. One grower always had a stock of 30,000 plants. The plants were grown in small pots for room and window decoration in spring. "It is most beautiful as seen with its pale green branches drooping gracefully around the pot sides, and more especially so when the shoots are wreathed with sweet, snow-white blossoms." Prop. by cuttings taken in spring. This species is practically unknown in Amer. Some of them are said to be useful in Calif. for planting near the sea- coast. The American gardener may get some general suggestions from the experience recorded under Epacris and Erica.

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