THE DICOTYLEDONES 



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The Myristicaceae are a small tropical family allied to the Annon- 

 aceae. They are mostly trees or woody shrubs with large, simple, entire 

 leaves. The flowers are mostly dioecious. Myristica fragrans (Fig. 1471). a 

 native of the Moluccas, is now widely cultivated since both the seed, the 

 nutmeg, and the fleshy aril, mace, are used as spices. 



Fig. 1471. — Myristica fragrans. A, Flowers. B, Fruit 

 dehiscing and exposing seed. C, Seed with aril. 

 D, Seed externally. E, Seed in section showing 

 ruminate endosperm. (B after Bailloii. The rest 

 after Le Maoiit and Decaisne.) 



The Lauraceae include a large assemblage of some 1,000 species which 

 are common as forest trees of both tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa 

 and America. There are apparently two main centres of distribution, the 

 one in south-eastern Asia whence the family ranges westwards through 

 Africa to the Canary Islands and also to south China and Japan and south- 

 wards to Australia, and a second in Brazil whence a few species extend into 

 North America as far as Canada. The only European species is the Bay, 

 or true Laurel {Laiirus nobilis), whose leaves are used in flavouring. In 



