myricacej:. 



347 



1. A. SERRULA'TA. fVilld. Betula serrulata. AV. 

 Leaves obovate, acuminate, doubly serrulate, the veins and their axils hairy 



beneath; 5ii/iii?cs elliptical, obtuse. A well known shrub growing in clumps, 

 and formino- thickets on the borders of ponds and rivers, and in swamps. 

 Stems numerous, rather straight, 10 — 15 feet in hight. Leaves 2 — 4 inches 

 loncf and ft as wide, strongly nerved ; petioles i — \ inch long. Aments 2 — 3 

 inches long, slender, pendulous, fascicled at the ends of the branches ; fertile 

 ones short, thick, dark brown, persistent, several together a little below the 

 sterile ones. March, April. Common Alder. 



2. A. CRISPA. P. A. undulata. WiUd. 

 Leaves ovate, acute, somewhat undulate, unequally serrate ; petioles and 



veins beneath hairy, axils smooth ; stipules ovate-oblong. Mountains. A 

 shrub, 3—4 feet high. April. Crisp-leaved Mder. 



ORDER CXXVIII. MYRICACE.E. The Gale Tribe. 



pis. Monfficious or dicecioiis, amentaceous, each axillary to a bract. 



Sterile. — Sla. 2 — 6. Anth. 2 — 4-celled, opening: longitudinally. 

 Fertile. — Oca. l-celled, 1-ovuled, surrounded by several hypogynous scales. 

 Stig.—'2, subulate, or dilated and petaloid. 



Pr. — Drupaceous or dry. Seed solitary, erect, without albumen. 

 Aromatic shrubs with resinous glands and dots. Leaves alternate, simple. 



Genera. 



( cuneate-lanceolate, serrate. Flowers dioscious Myrica. 1 



Leaves ( sinuate-pinnalifid. Flowers moncEcious Comptonia. 2 



1. MYRI'CA. 

 Flowers dioecious. Aments ovate-oblong; scales loosely 

 imbricate, lunate. Sterile fl. — Stamens 4—6, short, erect; 

 anthers large, 4-valved. Fertile Jl. — Ovary 1, superior ; styles 

 2, spreading; stigmas 2, acute; drupe l-celled, 1-seeded. 



Gr. f^v^M, to flow ; because some of the species are native of river banks 

 and inundated places. 



1. M. Galf,. 



Leaves cuneate-lanceolate, serrate and obtuse above ; sterile av^cnts imbri- 

 cate, with acuminate, ciliate scales ; /n«i in a scaly head. A branching 

 shrub, 4—5 feet in hight ; about the borders of ponds and mountain-lakes. 

 Leaves smooth, alternate. Aments short. Fruit with a strong, pungent, 

 spicy fragrance. May. Sweet Gale. Dutch Myrtle. 



2. M. ceri'fera. 



Leaves cuneate-lanceolate, acute and with a few serratures at the top ; 

 sterile aments lax; scales acute ; fruit spherical, naked, distinct. This inter- 

 esting and useful shrub is found in dry woods and fields. It varies much in 

 size from 2 feet to 8. It is covered with a greyish bark, and has a very 

 branching top with numerous dry-looking, scattered leaves, varying from 

 wedge-lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, on short petioles. The fertile plants 

 prod^uce small aments of flowers, succeeded by dense, irregular clusters of a 

 small, round, dry, berry-like fruit. This fruit consists of a globular stone 

 enclosing a kerne!, and covered with a coating of whitish wax, which, being 

 separated by boiling water, constitutes the bayherry tallow of commerce. 

 May. Bayherry. Wax Myrtle. 



