Myruiica.] flora 



155 



often not quite terminal, and the seed is then slightly oblique, the dorsum or nou- 

 rhaphal surface being the most convex. The middle coat is hard, woody, and brittle, 

 and consists of a single layer of prismatic cells radiatiug from within outwards. The 

 innermost coat, which is probably the nucleus, is thin and fleshy, and gives ofF the 

 numerous irregularly branching, much anastomosing plates which divide the albumen. 

 These are largest near the chalaza, from which they appear to spring when the seed 

 is cut vertically. The albumen is composed of hexagonal cellular tissue, with thin 

 transparent walls, each cell enclosing an opaque mass which nearly fills its cavity. 

 The cells of the processes of the endosperm are smaller and darker coloured than 

 those of the albumen. 



This is a very tropical Order, usually forming handsome trees, often with a lofty, 

 undivided trunk, and horizontal, more or less verticillate branches. In India none 

 of the species are known further north than 26° N. lat., on the northern face of the 

 Khasia hills. From America only thirteen are described by Mr. Bentham, in a general 

 enumeration of the American species, so that the Order is eminently Indian. The 

 species are probably most numerous in the eastern part of the Malayan Archipelago. 

 A few are found in tropical New Holland, but none, so far as is known, in China. 

 From Africa no species have been described, but in the British Museum there are 

 two specimens marked M Myristica ?" One of these, from Cape Coast, collected by 

 Brass, is a subscandent stipulate plant, apparently belonging to 3falvacete or Euphor- 

 biacece, but the other (brought by Afzelius from Sierra Leone) is in fruit, and, judg- 

 ing from the general aspect, probably belongs to this Order. 



As Nutmegs are generally lofty trees, inhabiting dense forests, and are almost in- 

 variably dioecious, many of the species are very imperfectly known ; most frequently 

 one sex only exists in herbaria, or, if U^flowera of both sexes be known, the fruit is 

 perhaps a desideratum. Great caution is*necessary in identifying fruiting aud flower- 

 ing specimens gathered at different times. Of many of the species we have only seen 

 single specimens, aud have no means of determining the amount of variation to which 

 thev are subject. We have also had few opportunities of observing this family in a 

 living state, but we think it probable that the shape of the leaves will be found to vary 

 very much, aud that it ought to be used with great caution as a specific character. 

 For these reasons we attach but little importance to the diagnoses and descriptions 

 here given. In one or two cases only have our materials been sufficient to enable us 

 to offer an opinion on the limits of species ; in general we have been obliged to 

 content ourselves with describing as accurately as possible the individual specimen 

 before us. 



Myrittica? sesquipedalis, Wall. Cat. 6809 ! is, as Dr. Wallich himself suspected, 

 a laurel, as is also M. nlaucescens, Wall. Cat. 6790 ! M. Finlaysontana, Wall. Cat. 

 6793 ! is a species of Melodorum. Wall. Cat. 9017, referred doubtfully to Myristica, 

 must also be excluded, as it certainly does not belong here. 



1. MYRISTICA, L. 



Character ordinis. 



There are no donbt several very distinct genera among Nutmegs but the structure 

 (especially that of the female flowers) is so very little known, that the tune ha, not 

 yet come for establishing these genera on a secure basis. We therefore follow Blume 

 and Bentham in retaining the genus Myristica for the present entire, and in dmd- 

 >ng it into sections according to the modifications of the androeemm. 



Sect. 1. Knema.— Calyx trilobus vel tripartita, extus tomento^is. 

 Columna staminea apice in discum margine autlienferiim dtlatata. 

 Stigma dilatatiun, marine pluridentatum. Cotyledon plana;.— 

 ~£\ove$ fadiyiaii ad apicem pedunculi imllarit abbnetah. 



The .pecies of JtttMM form, on the whole, a well-marked group, distimp iiahle 



