154 flora indica. " [Myristicacea . 



Testa carnosa, tunica interior dura, fragilis. Albumen ruminatum, se- 

 baceum. Embryo prope hilum miuutus, cotyledonibus divaricatis planis 

 vel undulatis, radieula infera. — Arbores (rarius frutiees) tropica scepe 

 exceha, plus minus aromatica, succo acrido ssepius rubicundo scatentes, 

 foliis attends integerrimis distichis paralleli-nerviis, (junioribus saltern) 

 pellucido-punctatis, floribus inconspicuis sape minimis, in axillis glome- 

 ratis vel paniculatis. 



This small Order is well known, from its containing the tree which yields the 

 Nutmeg of commerce ; and most of the species possess similar aromatic qualities, 

 though occasionally these are very faint, and in some instances confined to the arillus 

 (in the officinal nutmeg called Mace), or to the iieshy part of the fruit. Several spe- 

 cies are said to be employed in India to adulterate the true nutmeg, and in America 

 one or more yield when fresh a tolerable substitute for that valuable spice, though 

 their aromatic qualities are unfortunately not permanent. "We follow Endlicher in 

 bringing this Order into contact with Anonacece, to which it appears in most respects 

 closely allied. The habit, alternate dotted leaves, valvate aestivation, extrorse an- 

 thers, apocarpous ovaries, ruminated albumen, and minute embryo, are the chief 

 points of resemblance. The young leaves of nutmegs are in vernation quite like, 

 the leaves of Mitrephora, and an arillus is sometimes present in Anonacea, in which 

 Order the flowers are also occasionally unisexual. On this last character so much 

 stress is laid by Lindley, that he removes Myristicea (associated with Menispermea 

 and Lardizabalea) to a considerable distance from the Eanal alliance, although he 

 fully recognizes their relationship to Anonacea, and transfers Hyalostemma from 

 that Order to this, on a mistaken supposition that it is apetalous; in order appa- 

 rently not to invalidate this mark of distinction. We do not overlook the important 

 points of affinity which exist between Myristicacea and Monimiacea and Athero- 

 spennece, which Orders are also included by Lindley in his group Menispermales. 

 These are certainly entitled to great weight, especially that of the apocarpous fruit, 

 which removes those Orders far from Lauracea. The opposite leaves, however, 

 distinguish them from all the Ranal alliance except Clematidea. 



Myristicacece differ remarkably from Anonacece in the great development of the 

 arillus. The hilum is generally large and quite basal, and the arillus springing from 

 its margin envelopes the whole of the seed. The arillus has, at the same time, an 

 organic connection with the tissues around the micropyle, and in the common nut- 

 meg it is perforated opposite that aperture by a small slit, which is usually quite 

 exterior to the cicatrix of the hilum ; hence the arillus of the nutmeg has been 

 regarded by Planchon as an arillode, and its connection with the hilum is supposed 

 by that author to be spurious. The vascular tissue of the arillus might be expected 

 to throw light upon the origin of that body ; but we find it to rise all round the 

 basal cicatrix, which includes not only the hilum, but an areola around the micro- 

 pyle, to which the arillus is firmly attached. The examination of the fully-formed 

 arillus, therefore, leads us to infer that it is developed at once from the hilum and 

 the margin of the micropyle ; but this must remain doubtful till the development of 



the ovule and its nucleus has been carefully studied. The arillus is generally fleshy 

 but sometimes thin and very membranous ; and although usually divided towards the 

 apex into long linear lobes, which in the cultivated nutmeg and some other species 

 are very deep, in a part of the Order it is quite entire, and scarcely perceptibly per- 

 forated at the apex. Towards the base it contains a good deal of vascular tissue, the 

 vessels being spirally marked, but not unrollable. The cellular tissue is dense, and 

 in each cell there is an opaque yellowish mass, which nearly fills it, aud which is 

 probably the seat of the aroma. The seed has three coats; of these, the outer or 

 testa is fleshy (as in Magnoliacd , and very thin on the sides, but thicker at the base 

 and apex. It is traversed on one side by a rhaphe, formed of numerous vascular 

 cords passing from the hilum to the chalaza, where it divide* into many branches, 

 which ramify to a great i \tent over the inner surface of the testa. The chalaza is 



