MYRICACE^ 147 



unisexual, dioecious or monoecious, usually subtended by minute bractlets, in the 

 axils of the deciduous scales of unisexual or androgynous simple oblong aments 

 from buds in the axils of the leaves of the year, opening in early spring, the 

 staminate below the pistillate in androgynous aments ; staminate, perianth ; 

 stamens 4 or many, inserted on the thickened base of the scales of the ament ; 

 filaments slender, united at the base into a short stipe ; anthers ovate, erect, 

 2-celled, introrse, opening longitudinally ; ovary rudimentary or ; pistillate 

 flowers single or in pairs ; ovary sessile, 1-celled ; styles short, divided into 2 

 elongated filiform stigmas stigmatic on the inner face ; ovule solitary, erect 

 from the base of the cell, orthotropous, the micropyle superior. Fruit a globose 

 or ovoid dry drupe usually covered with waxy exudations ; nut hard, thick- 

 walled ; seed erect, with a thin coat, without albumen ; embryo straight ; 

 cotyledons plano-convex, fleshy ; radicle short, superior, turned away from the 

 minute basal hilum. 



The family consists of the genus Myrica, L., of about thirty or forty species 

 of small trees and shrubs, widely distributed through the temperate and warmer 

 parts of both hemispheres. Of the seven North American species three are 

 trees. Wax is obtained from the exudations of the fruit of several species. 

 The bark is astringent, and sometimes used in medicine, in tanning, and as 

 an aniline dye. Myrica sajoida, Wall., of eastern Asia and the Malay Archi- 

 pelago, is cultivated for its succulent aromatic fruit. 



The generic name is probably from the ancient name of some shrub, possibly 

 the Tamarisk. 



CONSPECTUS OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SPECIES. 



Flowers dioecious. 



Leaves oblong-spatiilate, iisnally acute or rarely rounded at the apex, mostly coarsely 



serrate above the middle, yellow-green, coated below with conspicuous orang-e-colored 



glands. 1. M. cerifera (A, C). 



Leaves usually broadly oblong-obovate, rounded or rarely acute at the apex, entire, dark 



green, and lustrous. 2. M. inodora (C). 



Flowers monoecious. 



Leaves lanceolate-cuneate or oblong-lanceolate, sharply serrate, dark green, and lustrous. 



3. M. Calif ornica (G). 



1. Myrica cerifera, L. "Wax Myrtle. 



Leaves lanceolate-cuneate or oblong-lanceolate, acute or rarely gradually nar- 

 rowed and rounded at the apex, cuneate at the base, decurrent on short stout petioles, 

 coarsely serrate above the middle or entire, yellow-green, covered above by minute 

 dark glands and below by bright orange-colored glands, l|'-4' long and ^'-^' wide, 

 with slender pale midribs often puberulous below, and few obscure arcuate veins, 

 fragrant with a balsamic resinous odor, gradually deciduous at the end of their first 

 year. Flowers in small oblong aments, with ovate acute ciliate scales, those of the 

 staminate plant l'-|' long, about twice as long as those of the pistillate plant; 

 stamens few, with oblong slightly obcordate anthers at first tinged with red, becoming 

 yellow; ovary of the pistillate flower gradually narrowed into 2 slender spreading 

 stigmas longer than its scale. Fruit in short spikes, ripening in September and 

 October and persistent on the branches during the winter, irregularly deciduous in 

 the s})ring and early summer, globose, about ^' in diameter, slightly papillose, light 

 green, coated with thick pale blue wax. 



