634: SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



of late years. This tree bears pear-shaped fruits, commonly about the size 

 of an ordinary peach, with fleshy pericarps ; each fruit contains a single 

 seed, surrounded by a lacerated envelope called an aril, or commonly mace ; 

 this is scarlet when fi'esh, but usually becomes yellow when dried, as in the 

 mace of commerce. Beneath the mace we find a hard shell, and within this 

 the nucleus of the seed invested closely by its endopleura or inner coat, which 

 also penetrates the substance of the albumen and divides it into lobes (rumi- 

 nated albumen). This nucleus, or the seed divested of its shell and aril, is our 

 commercial nutmeg. The pericarp is commonly used as a preserve. Both nut- 

 megs and mace are largely employed as condiments, but their use requires 

 caution in those subject to apoplexy or other cerebral affections, as they 

 possess narcotic properties. In medicine they are employed as stimulants, car- 

 minatives, and tlavouring agents. Nutmegs yield when distilled Avith water 

 a volatile oil, caUed Volatile or Essential Oil of Nutmegs. Mace under like 

 conditions also yields a volatile oil of nearly similar properties. The sub- 

 stance called Expressed Oil of Mace, Butter of Nutmegs, or Expressed or 

 Concrete Oil of Nutmegs, is imported from the Moluccas, and is prepared by 

 heating nutmegs, and afterwards submitting them to pressui-e. It consists of 

 a small quantity of volatile oil mixed with two fatty substances. The Nut- 

 megs thus described are frequently termed the Ti-ue, Round, or Officinal 

 Nutmegs, to distinguish them from those of an inferior quality, which are 

 obtained from other species of Myristica, dx. One of these inferior nutmegs 

 is found in commerce, it is called the Long or Wild Nutmeg. It occurs in 

 three conditions, namely, without the hard shell and aril, then termed the 

 long or wild nutmeg ; enclosed within the shell divested of its aril (long or 

 wild nutmeg in the shell) ; and within the shell and aril (long or tvild nutmegs 

 covered with mace). These long nutmegs are said to be derived from Myris- 

 tica fatua or tomentosa, and probably, also, to some extent, from M. mala- 

 harica. Both the long nutmeg and its mace are very inferior to the similar 

 parts of M. moschata. There are several other kinds of Nutmegs, derived from 

 different species of Myristica, which are in use in various parts of the world, 

 but as they are much inferior in their qualities and are not found in com- 

 merce, it is unnecessary to allude to them here. We have already stated, 

 that some false or tcild Nutmegs are also derived from plants of the order 

 Lauraceee. (See page 631.) 



Natural Order 204. Begoniace^. — The Begonia Order. — 

 Character. — Herbs or low succulent shrubs. Leaves alternate, 

 unequal-sided at the base {fig. 312), with large stipules. Flowers 

 diclinous. Calyx superior. Male flower with 4 sepals, 2 of 

 which are smaller and placed internal to the others. Stainens 

 numerous, distinct, or coherent in a cohimn ; anthers 2-celled, 

 clavate, with longitudinal dehiscence, clustered. Female flower 

 with 5 or 8 sepals. Ovary inferior, winged, 3-celled, with 3 

 large projecting placentas meeting in the axis ; stigmas 3, sessile, 

 2-lobed. Fruit winged, capsular. Seeds numerous, wdth a thin 

 reticulated testa, and without albumen. This order and the 

 Datiscacese are placed by some botanists near to Cucurbitacese, 

 to which they are certainly nearly allied. 



Distribution, tfc— Natives chiefly of India, South America, 

 and the West Indies. Examples of the Genera: — Begonia, Di- 

 ploclinium. There are above 160 species. 



Properties and Uses. — Tliey are reputed generally to possess 

 astringent and bitter qualities, and occasionally to be purgative. 

 None, however, have any particular importance. 



Natural Order 205. Datiscace.^;;. — The Datisca Order. — 

 Character. — Herbs or trees. Leaves alternate, exstipulate. 



