CHAP. CIX. iVYRICA^CE^.. MYRl^CA. 205.5 



very rare, if not totally wanting. Noronha first described this tree in the Act. Soc. Jkitnv. ; but he 

 had not the least suspicion that it belonged to the genus Liquidimbar l.inn. The small grains 

 which are found along with the seeds in some capsules, which are nothing more than abortive 

 ovules, and which had been observed by LinnEEUs in L. Styraciflua, he described as small chatly 

 bodies, mixed with the membranous tops of the seeds. It is called by the natives of Java, Ras-sa- 

 ma.la ; by the Arabs, Rasem-raalla; by the inhabitants of New Guinea, Russimal ; and by those of 

 Cochin-China, Rosa-malla. The wood is at first reddish, and afterwards brownish ; very compact, 

 hard, of a beautiful grain, and having a grateful balsamic odour. It is much esteemed by the 

 Javanese for beams and planks. The flowers appear in May and June; and the fruit is ripe in 

 September, and the following months of the same year. (Blumc VI. Jav., t. 1,2.) Sprengel imagined 

 th.at this tree was the same as our Araucaria excelsa ; an error which was detected by the description 

 and figure of Blume, as given above. 



CHAP. CIX. 



OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THE 

 ORDER iVYRICA'CE^. 



ilivRi^CA L. Flowers unisexual; those of the two sexes upon different 

 plants. — Male flowers in cylindrical sessile catkins. Each flower consists 

 of 4, rarely more, stamens: these are inserted at the base of a bractea. 

 Bracteas extending beyond the stamens, loosely imbricated. — Female 

 flowers closely disposed into ovate sessile catkins, and attended by 

 closely imbricated bracteas. One bractea attends 2 flowers. Each flower 

 consists of a calyx of 2 — 4 very minute scales; an ovary, to which the 

 scales adhere ; a short style ; and 2 long thread-shaped stigmas. Ovary 

 1 -celled, and including one upright ovule. Carpel involucrated by the 

 adherent, more or less fleshy, enlarged calyx, and so more or less resem- 

 bling a berry. Seed erect, exalbuminous. — Species few; natives of the 

 torrid and frigid zones of both hemispheres. Shrubs. Leaves alternate, 

 persistent, or annual; simple in most, if not all; generally more or less 

 serrated, besprinkled with resinous dots, as are the scales of the buds, and 

 the surface of the fruit; which yield, when rubbed, an aromatic odour. 

 Catkins axillary, expanding early in the following year in the kinds with 

 annual leaves. ( T. Xees ab Esenb. Gen. PL FL Ger. ; Smith Eng. Fl. ; 

 and observation.) 



CoMPTO^N/..j Gaertn. Flowers unisexual ; those of both sexes upon one 

 plant, and in catkins. — Male catkins lateral, cylindrical, of several flowers. 

 Bracteas imbricated. Flower of " 3-twin " ( Wahon) stamens, seated to- 

 wards the base of a bractea ; sessile. Anthers 2-lobed, opening at the 

 side. — Female catkins lateral, ovate, of several flowers. Bracteas im- 

 bricated. Flower of a calyx and pistil. Calyx free, flat, 6-parted ; seg- 

 ments slender, unequal in length ; the longest as long again as the bractea. 

 Ovary subglobose, depressed. Style short. Stigmas 2. Fruit 1-celled, 

 ovate, hard, shining, attended by the calyx. Seed 1, oval. — Species 1, a 

 bushy dwarfish shrub, wild in sandy, stony, or slaty woods, in North 

 America, from New England to Virginia. Leaves alternate, lanceolate, 

 pinnatifidly toothed, downy, sprinkled with golden, resinous, transparent 

 particles ; annual. A fragrant odour resides in the resinous particles upon 

 the leaves, and, it is likely, in other parts of the plant. {Wats. Dend. Brit.; 

 N. Du Ham. ; and observation.) 



Genus I. 



ilfYRFCA L. The Candleberrv Myrtle. Lin. Sj/.it. DiceVia 



Tetrandria. 



Identification. Lin. Gen., 518. : Juss., 409. ; Fl. Br., 1076. ; Lam., t. 809. ; Gtertn., t. 39. : Eng. 

 Fl., 4. p. 2.'38 ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 1S9. 



