OF THE EASTERN UNITED STATES 343 



In 1769, Laurent de Jussieu placed these plants in his natural family, 

 Amentiferae, not far from Bctnla and Castanea. 



In 1771, Catesby ("Natural History of Carolina, Florida and 

 the Bahama Islands," Vol. 1, p. 69.) designated as "Narrow leaved 

 Candleberry Myrtle" what Plukenet in his " Phy tographia " and "Al- 

 magestum" called Myrtns Brabanticae similis, Carolinensis, baccifera, 

 fructu racemoso sessili monopyreno. He described the plant as a small 

 tree or shrub about 12 ft. high with crooked stems branching forth near 

 the ground irregularly, having long, narrow and sharp pointed leaves, 

 some trees having most of their leaves serrated, others not. He also 

 briefly described the condition of the flowers in May, as well as the 

 appearance of the fruits later and stated a method for making candles 

 from the wa.x. His illustrations of flowering and fruiting branches re- 

 semble to a great extent those of Myrica cerifera L. 



On page 13 of the same work he discussed another plant which he 

 called, "Myrtus Brabanticae similis, Carolinensis, humilior, foliis 

 latioribus et magis serrata, or Broad-leaved Candleberry Myrtle. " He 

 further mentions that this plant usually grows not above 3 ft. in height, 

 differing principally from the tall Candleberry Myrtle by its broader 

 leaves. His illustration resembles the fruiting branch of Myrica Caro- 

 linensis Mill. 



In 1778, Lamarck designated as Myrica palustris, Myrica Gale, of 

 Linnaeus ("Fl. France" 11 p. 236). 



In 1789, Alton, in "Hortus Kewensis" p. oZA divided M. cerifera L. 

 into two species, viz.: M. cerifera angustifolia and M. cerifera latifolia. 

 The latter corresponds to Miller's Myrica Carolinensis. He named 

 Liquidambar asplenifoUnm of Linnaeus, Comptonia asplenifolia. 



In 1794, William Bartram, in the second edition of his "Travels" 

 p. 403, mentioned his excursion to Taensa, Alabama in 1778, where he 

 observed a plant which he named, Myrica inodora. He described it as 

 an evergreen shrub, growing in wet sandy soil about the edges of swamps, 

 rising to the height of 9-10 ft., dividing itself into a multitude of nearly 

 erect branches which are garnished with deep green, entire, lanceolate 

 leaves, the branches producing large, round berries covered with a scale 

 or coat of white wax. He further stated that it possessed no fragrance, 

 but was in high esteem among the French inhabitants of this region, 

 who named it the Wax tree on account of its yielding abundant wax for 

 their candles. 



In 1802,Loiseleur-Deslongchamps in "Nouv. Duhamel" 2 p. 190, t55 

 gave the name of Myrica pensylvanica to the same species which Miller 

 called Myrica Carolinensis. 



