AMENTIFERiE. 189 



waxy dots upon them, the fruit thus enclosed forming a false drupe 

 like that of Hippophae. 



GENUS F///.— MYRICA. Linn. 



Flowers dioecious. Male flowers in cylindrical catkins, with ovate 

 concave scarious catkin-scales, each of which covers a single flower: 

 perianth none or reduced to a pair of scales : stamens 2 to 8, inserted 

 on the base of the catkin-scale. Female catkins ovoid-cylindrical 

 with densely imbricated catkin-scales, each covering a single flower : 

 floral-scales 2 to 4, adhering to the lower part of the ovary: ovary 

 1 -celled, 1-ovuled, with a short thick style ; stigmas 2, elongated. 

 Fruit a small 1 -celled and 1-seeded nut, surrounded by a fleshy 

 covering formed by the enlarged floral-scales which adhere to its lower 

 part, so that it resembles a small drupe. Fruit catkins with the 

 catkin-scales coriaceous and persistent, or deciduous. 



Shrubs generally sprinkled with resinous dots and fragrant. Leaves 

 entire or serrate, generally narrowed towards the base. Flowers pro- 

 duced before or with the young leaves. 



The name of this gciuis of plants is derived from nvpor (imiron), sweet ointment, 

 in reference to its fragrance. 



SPECIES I.— M YRICA GALE. Lkn. 

 Plate MCCXCVIII. 

 Rcwh. Ic. El. Germ, et Helv. VoL XL Tab. DCXX. Fig. 1277. 



Leaves oblong-oblanceolate, wedgeshaped, serrated towards the apex 

 only or entire. Flowers opening before the leaves. Male catkins race- 

 mose, crowded; female catkins shortly oblong, with imbricated sub- 

 persistent catkin-scales. Nuts in catkins, small, not encrusted with 

 Avhite wax. Leaves deciduous, rather pale green, especially below, 

 not shinino". 



In bogs and wet heaths and thickets. Local, but widely distributed 

 over England. Frequent on the moors of Scotland, especially in hilly 

 districts, but not reaching* as far north as Orkney or Shetland. 

 .Frequent throughout Ireland. 



England, Scotland, Ireland. Shrub. Spring. 



A small bushy shrub, 2 feet high or more. Stems often decumbent 

 and rooting at the base, with numerous ascending twigs ; bark purplish- 

 brown, smooth. Leaves very shortly and indistinctly stalked, 1 to 3 

 linches long, tapering gradually towards the base, acute or obtuse, 



