32 FLORA OF JAMAICA Myrica 



wanting, but the flowers, especially the female, have 2-4 bracteoles 

 within the bract. Male spikes on branches of the first year's 

 growth. Stamens on a receptacle which is adnate to the base of 

 the bract, with short filaments. Anthers with 2 distinct parallel 

 cells dehiscing longitudinally. Female flowers : ovary 1-celled ; 

 style short with 2 filiform branches stigmatic on the inside. 

 Ovule solitary, erect, orthotropous. Drupe small, bearing waxy 

 papillie. Seed without endosperm. Embryo straight ; coty- 

 ledons fiat ; radicle short, superior. 



Species 58, widely dispersed in the temperate and warmer 

 regions of the whole globe, except Australia. 



MYRICA L. 



This genus is the only one in the Family. 



Leaves not pitted on upper surface but with a few 

 superficial yellow glands. 



]Male spikes 7-12 mm. 1 1. M. microcarpa. 



Male spikes 3-5 mm. 1 2. M. microstachya. 



Leaves with numerous pits. 



Male spikes 8-20 mm. 1 3. M. cerifera. 



1. M. microcarpa Benth. Plant. Hartw. 266 (1839); lenticels 

 on branches large, white, apparent ; leaves oblanceolate or 

 oblong-lanceolate, cuneate at base, more or less toothed in the 

 upper margin, upper surface not pitted but with a few super- 

 ficial yellow glands ; male spikes 7-12 mm. 1. ; stamens usually 4, 

 united ||- of length. Griseh. Fl. Br. W. Ind. 177 (in part); 

 Urban in Engl. Bot. Jalirb. xv. 358 ; Clieval. in Mem. Sc. Nat. 

 Cherh. ocxxii. 274. (Fig. 5.) 



Wax Wood. 



Wriglitl Massonl Lindsay] Bancroft] Macfadyenl Port Royal Mts., 

 Purdie ! March ; Hartweg ! Blue Mt. Peak, Prior ! Mountains, 4000 ft. 

 and upwards, J.P. 637, Hart I Cinchona, 4500 ft., Faivcettl Farm 

 Hill Works, Harris ! Fl. Jam. 5612, 8152, 8461, 8462, 9138 ; Cinchona, 

 G. Nichols ! 



Shruh or small tree, 9-15 ft. high. Leaves 3-6 cm. 1., 1-2 cm. br., 

 becoming crowded towards end of shoot, with very minute hairs on upper 

 surface which are more apparent on the median nerve, underneath 

 generally pubescent and punctate with numerous yellow glands; lateral 

 nerves at angle of 60-75 from median, prominent underneath. Bracts 

 of male spikes 1-1*5 mm. 1. and br., of fruit-bearing spikes "6- "7 mm. 1., 

 8- '9 mm. br. Fruit 2*5-3 mm. 1., subglobose, crowned with the style- 

 branches. 



2. M. microstachya Kr. & TJrh. in Engl. Bot. Jahrh. xv. 361 

 (1892); lenticels large, 'white, apparent; leaves oboval-elliptical 

 or oblong-lanceolate, slightly cuneate at base, generally entire, 

 sometimes with 1-3 small teeth which are occasionally on one 



