562 MYRICACE.E (Hutchinson). 



Trees or shrubs, frequently aromatic ; leaves alternatCj penninerved, entire, 

 serrate, dentate or pinnately lobed ; stipules ; flowers monoecious or more usually 

 dioecious ; male spikes axillary, usually dense-fiowered, solitary (in some extra- 

 African species fasciculate or paniculate) ; when bisexual then tlae male flowers 

 below the female ; female spikes sometimes longer or shorter than the male, 

 mostly axillary. 



DiSTRiB. A single genus with about 50 species, of w'hich 15 occur within the 

 limits of this flora, 6 in the Mascarene Islands, 11 in Tropical Africa, and the 

 remainder are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. 



The segregation of Myrica into 3 genera by Chevalier (Monogr. Myricacere, 1901) 

 is discu:5sed briefly in the Flora of Tropical Africa, vol. vi. ii. p, 307. 



I. MYRICA, Linn. 



Charactei'S of the Ordei\ 



Leaves sessile, broadly ovate or ovate-orbieular, as broad or 

 nearly as broad as long, cordate at the base, undulate 

 or repa.nd-dentate or denticulate^ rarely subentire, 

 usually less than 1 in. long > .,, ( 1 ) cordifolia. 



Leaves usually more or less petiolate, considerably longer 



than broad, rounded or cuneate at the basCj mostly 



more than 1 in. long : 



Ehachis of the 6 inflorescence clearly visible between the 



laxly arranged flowers ; floral bracts not imbricate ; 



spikes slender j branchlets glabrous ; Iea\-es oblong- 



oblanceolate, entire or with a few blunt incurved 



testh towards the apex (2) Burmanni. 



Rhachis of the S inflorescence not or only slightly 



vifiible between the fio^\■ers, the floral bracts more or 



less densely imbricate : 



Leaves more or less rounded or obtuse at the base and 



subseasile, rarely very shortly cuneate, mostly 



entire or nearly so : 



Branchlets softly pubescent or pilose with rather " 

 long hairs : 



Leaves entire or sparingly and rather obscurely 

 few-toothed : 

 Leaves rather acutely acuminate (3) dregeana. 



Leaves rounded to an obtusely mucronate apex ( 4 ) humilis. 



Leaves rather acutely crenate-serrate all round 



the margin ( 5 ) elliptica. 



Branchlets glabrous or minutely puberulous : 



Leaves very densely glandular (or ivhenthe glands 



have collapsed, punctate) below : 



Leaves elliptic or oblong-elliptic, entire or very 



obscurely toothed towards the apex, very 



thick and rigidly coriaceous ; infructes- 



cences about twice as loDg as the leaves -., ( 6 ) kraussiana. 



Leaves oblong-lanceolate, often with 3-5 rather 

 coarse obtuse teeth on each side towards 

 the apex, rigidly papery ; infructescencea 

 not known, but probably much shorter than 

 the leaves (7) brevifolia. 







7 



