256 



MYRICACE^. 



[Diclinous Exogexs. 



Order LXXXI. MYRICACEiE.— GALE^yoRTS. 



Myricese, Ricfi. A7ial. dn Fr. (1808,; Blume Fl.Java ; Bartl. Ord. Nat. 

 Ixxxx-ii ; Meistier, p. 351. 



(1830) ; Endlich. Gen. 



Diagnosis. Amental Exogem, toith a l-celled ovary and a single erect seed, with a 



superior radicle. 



Leafy shrubs, or small trees, covered A\-ith resmous glands and dots ; leaA'es alternate, 



simple, ^^ith or without stipules. Flowers ^ ? , amentaceous, naked. ^ Stamens 



2 to 8 generally in the axil of a scale-like bract ; anthers 2- or 4 -celled, opening 



' lengthwise. ? Ovary l-celled, smTovmded by 



several hypogynous scales ; ovule sohtary, 



erect, orthotropal ; stigmas 2, subulate, or 



dilated and petaloid. Fruit drupaceous, often 



covered with waxy secretions, and, with the 



hypog^iious scales of the ovary, become fleshy 



and adherent. Seed solitary, erect ; embi'vo 



/^// 2 without albumen ; cotyledons 2, plano-convex ; 



S(, radicle short, superior. 



j„ P^ i]j The fragrant Gales are just half way between 



^ ^ '/ 3 the Urtical and Amental AlHances. With 



Nettleworts they exactly agree, except m 



wantmg albumen and having catkins ; with 



4 the Amental Alliances they coiTespond in all 



essential particulars, but stand distmctly 



marked by the perfect simpUcity of their 



fruit, in which they agree with Beefwoods 



only. In theu" soUtary erect ovule, superior 



radicle, often dilated stigmas, and aromatic 



secretions, so uncommon among plants in tliis 



neighbourhood, they nearly approach Juglands, 



but are distinguished by their free ovary. 



Lookmg at plants not belonging to the Diclinous 



gi'oup, they may be compared with Peppers, 



because of theu* erect o^^^les, l-celled ovary, 



and naked flowers ; but the resemblance is 



distant. 



Found in the temperate parts of North America, the tropics of South America, 



the Cape of Good Hope, and India. One species only inhabits the swamps of Em-ope. 



Aromatic shrubs, or trees of considerable size. Comptonia asplenifolia possesses 



astringent and tonic properties, and is much used in the domestic medicine of the United 



States, m cases of diarrhoea. Benzoic and tannic acids, with a resinous matter, occur in 



its aromatic bark. Wax is obtained in great abundance from the berries of MjTica 



cerifera, and other species. The fruit of Myrica sapida is about as large as a cherry, 



and, according to Buchanan, is pleasantly acid and eatable in Nepal. Myrica Gale 



yields an ethereal oil of a yellow colour, feeble odour, and mild taste, which after a 



while becomes slightly warm. Its leaves were formerly used against the itch, and in 



Sweden as a substitute for hops in brewing. The root of Mj-rica cerifei'a is said to be 



emetic, or drastic in large doses. 



GENERA. 



Myrica, L. 



I Cfale, Tourn. 



I Comptonia, Banks. 



I Clarisia, R. et P. 



Numbers. Gen. 3 



Position. — Betulacese. 



Sp. 20 ? 



EnipetracecB. 

 Juglandacece. 



-Myricace^. — Casuarinacese. 

 UrticacecB. 



Fig. CLXXII.— Comptonia asplenifolia ; 1. ? of Myrica cerifera guarded by its scale ; 2 and 3. the 

 same divested of the scale and cut perpendicularly ; 4. $ of ditto ; 5. Fruit of Myrica Gale ; 6. a perpen- 

 dicular section ; 7. a section of the seed. 



