LACniNE.E. MYRISTICACE^E. 289 



or, I may say, limitccl, use for a siiifrular reason, thus explained by Dr. Mason : " A 

 solitary post of a species of Lauras is often found in Tavoy houses. There was ono 

 in mine, which the white ants selected in preference to others, and as long as left 

 undisturbed they never wandered from home. It may be an advantage to have 

 one post of a house of this timber, but one is quite sufHeient." On the other hand, 

 this Order embraces the lioi-nean Iron wood [Eunideroxyloii Zwageri), probably the 

 heaviest and hardest wood known, and one which alike defies Teredo and Termite. 

 The Laurel {Lnuncs nobilis) was once held iu high esteem, and victors' were crowned 

 with a wreath of its leaves, but these have now, alas ! descended to the mean office 

 of flavouring dishes, and serving as a lining wherein Turkey figs arc packed. 



Order MYRISTICACE^. 



Fhicerfi regular, diencious. Periatifh deciduous, 3- (rarely 2- or 4-)lobcd, the 

 lobes valvate in bnd. Mule Jfotrers : Sfiinieiis imitcd in a central column. Anthers 

 3-6 or more, adnato to the column at the apex or in a ring immediately below 

 the column, 2-eellcd, the cells parallel, ojjening longitudinally. Feiiuile flowers : 

 Ovanj free within the perianth, with a single erect anatropous ovule. Sfir/mtt 

 sessile or nearly so, capitate or depressed. Fruit thick- or fleshy-coriaceous, opening 

 tardily in 2 valves. Seed erect, sessile, more or less covered with an entire or more 

 usually lobed or jagged coloured arillus. Albumen ruminate. Fmbryo veiy small, 

 basilar, with divaricate cotyledons. Trees, rarely shrubs. Leaves alternate, simple, 

 usually dotted and penninerved. Sf/pides none. Flowers small, the males more 

 numerous than the females, in axillary or supra-axillary racemes or panicles. Mracts 

 minute or none. 



An Order consisting of a single genus, of which 5 sjiccics occur in Purma. The 

 nutmeg and its envelope miiee {3/i/risficii fnigrans) is the produce of this family. 

 Aromatic qualities prevail, while the bark abounds in an acrid juice, which is viscid, 

 and causes a red stain. 



Myeistica, Linnavs. 



(Characters, those of the Order.) 



* Anthers linear, adnate to the whole lael; of the ci/lindrieal or sjiindk-shaped 

 staminal eolumn. Flowers in simple raeeiaes. Arillus lacerate and lobed. 



*M. FRAGEANS. 



The Xutmeg is indigenous in the Moluccas, but might perhaps thrive iu Southern 

 Tenasserim, and has been successfully grown in Mergui. 



M. ELLiPTiCA, Wall. E.T. Tree forests of South Andaman. 



Fruits 2 inches long or more, glabrous. Flowers rusty-scurfy, on i)cdiecls 1-2 

 lines long. 



** Staminal eolumn pear-shaptd or /jlohular, covered all over, or only along the 

 depressed apex, with anthers. I'erianth ylohular, or nearly so, 2-S-cleft. Flowers 

 minute, in compound jjanieles. Arillus nearly complete and entire. 



M. Irya, Gaertn. F.T. Tree forests of Tenasserim and the Andamans. 



Fruits globular, the size of a cherry. Inflorescence rusty-scurfy, toraentose. 



M. AMTGDALIXA, Wall. F.T. Tree forestsof the southern part of the Tegu 



llange, Tenasserim, and the Andamans. 



Fruits oblong, the size of a prune. Inflorescence glabrous or nearly so. 



*** Staminal column club-shaped, at the apex dilated into a disk, round which the 

 anthers are attached. Female perianth globular: male 1, turbinate, often lengthened 

 into a stalk. Flowers clustered. Arillus lacerate or lobed. 



' F(ir much other curious information, see Mythologic iks I'lantcs, vol. ii. p. 188. 



vnT .11 1 J 



