ClIAl'. CIX. 



MYUICA^CEiE. COMPTO'n/^. 



2059 



a native of Madeira and the Azores. Introduced in 1777, by Mr. 

 Masson, and flowering in June and July. There are plants at 

 Messrs. Loddiges's. 



M. serruta Lam. Encyc., 2. p. 593., N. Du Ham., 2. p. 192. ; 

 M. jBthiopica Lin. Syst., 884., Reich. 4. p. 424. ; M. conifera 

 Burm. Prod., 27., Pluk. Fhyt, t. 48. f. 8. Leaves linear-lanceo- 

 late, pointed, deeply and somewhat doubly serrated. {Lam. 

 Encyc.) An upright-growing evergreen shrub, about 2 ft. high, 

 with very glabrous leaves, of a beautiful green ; the old ones 

 somewhat drooping. The name alludes to the serratures of the 

 leaves, which are very deep and open. The berries resemble 

 those of M. cerifera ; but they are black when quite ripe, and 

 preserve a point at the summit. A native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Introduced by Mr. F. Masson, in 1793. 



M. quercifuiia Lin. .Sp. PI., 1453., Reich., 4. p. 424., Burm. Fl. 

 Ind., t. 98. f. 1., Hort. Cliff, 45G., Pluk. Aim., t. 424., N. Uu 

 Ham., 2. p. 193., Lam. Encyc, 2. p. 593., Lodd. Cat., ed. 1836; 

 Xaiirus africana, &c., Com. Hort., 2. t. 81., Raii Supp. Dend., 

 85. ; has the leaves ovate-wedge-shaped, sinuate, serrated, blunt- 



ish ; the divisions often angular. (Lam. Encyc.) A shrub, 2 ft. or 3 ft. high, with numerous reddish 

 and slightly tomentose branches. The leaves are quite smooth, and dotted. A native of the Cape; 

 flowering in June and July. Introduced before 1752, as it was cultivated in that year by Miller. 



M. q. hirshta Mill. Diet., Ait. Hort. Kcw., edit. 2., v. p. 380., only dirtiers from the preceding in 

 having the leaves hairy. 



M. cordifdlm Lin. Sp., 14.54., Reicli., 4. p. 24.5., Hort Cliff., 456., Pluk. Phyt., t. 319. f. 7., N. Du 

 Ham., 2. p. 193.. Roy Lugdb., 527 ; Alaternoides 7'licis f61io, &c., Walt. Hort., 3. t. 3. ; M. fbliis sub- 

 cordiltis, &c., Burm. Afr., t. 98. f. 3. ; Gale capensis, &c , Petiv. Mus., 774. ; CoriotragematodcJndros 

 /'licis aculeatiE f61io P/«A:. Aim., 65., Pluk. Phyt., t. 319. f7.; i»/. capensis io(W. Ca/.,1836; has 

 the leaves somewhat cordate, serrate, sessile. (Lin.) An upright-growing evergreen shrub, with 

 wand-like branches; downy and reddish when young, and much leafed; according to the A^oufraw 

 ]Ju Hamel, the most ornamental species of the genus. The leaves are numerous, sniall, heart- 

 shaped, and dentated. It flowers in May and June. The berries are rather 

 l.irger than those of M. cerifera. A native of the Cape, cultivated 1759, by Miller. 

 Thunberg, in his Travels, says: " The branches of the wax shrub (Myrica cordi- 

 filia), the berries of which are covered with a fat substance, resembling bees' wax, 

 were put whole into a pot of boiling water, in order to melt and skim off the wax. 

 It resembles grey impure wax, is harder than tallow, and somewhat softer than ^ 

 wax. The farmers use it for candles ; and the Hottentots eat it like a piece of • 

 bread, with or without meat." (Tkunberg's Travels, \. \>.\S1.) We have little 

 doubt that this species would thrive against a conservative wall. 



App. ii. Half-hardy Species ofM.yrica not 

 yet introduced. 



M. spathulhta Mirb. M^m. Mus., 14. p. 474. t. 28. f. 1. ; and our fig. 1970. 

 Leaves spathulate, blunt, quite entire, glabrous. Male catkins sessile, axillary, 

 solitary, shorter than the petioles. A tree, with smooth, cylindrical branches. 

 Leaves 1 in. to 2j in. long, and Jin. to 1 in. broad. Found in Madagascar by 

 M. Perodet. 



Genus II. 



1970 



COMPTO'N/J Banks. The Comptonia. Lmi, Syst. MonoeVia Triandria. 



Identification. Ga:rtn. Fruct., 1. p. 58. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 45. 



Synonymcs. Liquidambar Lin Sp. ; il/yrlca Lin. Hort. Cliff., 456., Grcm. Virg., 2. p. 155. ; Gule 



Petiv. Mus., 773. ; Comptone, /•>. ; Comptonie, Ger. 

 Derivation. Named in honour of Henry Compton, Bishop of London, the introducer and cultivator 



of many curious exotic plants, and one of the greatest patrons of botany and gardening of his time. 



Dencription, Sj'c. A low evergreen shrub, a native of North America, in 

 moist peaty soils, nearly allied to ./l/yrica. Only one species has hitherto 

 been described. 



sfc ]. C. /isPLENiFO^LiA Banks. The Asplenium-Ieaved Comptonia. 



Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 334. ; Ga;rtn. Fruct, 1. p. 58. ; L'H^rit. Stirp., nov. ed., 2. 



t. 58. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 46.; Dend. Brit., t. 166. ; Fursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 635. ; Lodd. 



Cat., ed. 1836. 

 Synonymes. Liquidambar msplenifblium Lin. Sp., 1418., Du Ham. Arb., 1. p. 366. ; L. peregrinum 



Lin. Syst., 860., Reich., i. p. 171. ; Myr\ca Lin. Hort. Cliff:, 456., Gron. Virg., 155., Cold. Noveb., 



224., Mill. Did., No. 4. ; Giile mari^na Pet. Mus., 773. ; A/yrtus brabantiCiE affinis Pluk. Phyt., 



t. 100. f. 6, 7. ; The sweet Fern Bush, Amer. 

 Engravings. Pluk. Phyt., t. 100, f. 6, 7. ; N. Du Ham., t. 11. ; Dend. Brit., t. 166. ; and our fig. 

 1971. '' 



Spec. Char., c^c. Leaves long, linear, alternate, crenately pinnatifid. 

 ( IVilM. Sp. PI., iv. p. 320.) A deciduous shrub, 3 ft. or 4 ft. high. The young 



