106 BOTANY. 



style very short ; stif^ma somewhat lobed. Fruit succulent, one-celled, two- 

 valved. Seed solitary, usually covered by a laciniated arillus ; embryo 

 small, orthotropal, at the base of ruminate albumen ; cotyledons foliaceous ; 

 radicle inferior. Trees with alternate, exsti])ulate, entire, not dotted 

 leaves. Natives of the troj)ical regions of Asia and America. There 

 are five known genera, and between thirty and forty species. Example : 

 Myristica. 



The most important genus of this order is Myristica, from which the nutmeg 

 is obtained. The principal species, M. moschata, is a native of the Moluccas, 

 but cultivated in many tropical countries. The fruit is a drupe, opening by 

 two valves when ripe, and exhibiting a reticulated arillus, known as mace. 

 Within this is a hard shell, enveloping the kernel or nutmeg. One tree will 

 sometimes yield six pounds of nutmeg. Nutmeg butter or fat is a concrete oil 

 obtained by expressing the fruit. 



Myristica moschata, nutmeg (/>/. 60, 61,^,^. 3): a, a branch Avith fruit; 6, 

 ditto, with flowers ; m, the seed ; /,-, vertical section; h. ditto, with the embryo; 

 2, cross-section. 



Order 72. Laurace^e, the Laurel or Bay Family. Perianth, with four 

 or six divisions, which are usually in two rows, the limb sometimes obsolete ; 

 aestivation imbricate. Stamens perigynous, definite, often twice as many as 

 the divisions of the perianth, and arranged usually in two rows, those of the 

 inner row (often three) being frequently sterile (staminodia), while those of 

 the outer (often six in number) are fertile ; if the inner stamens are fertile 

 they are extrorse, while the outer are introrse ; filaments of the inner row, often 

 with glands at their base ; anthers, two- to four-celled, cells opening by 

 longitudinal valves. Ovary superior, unilocular ; ovule solitary, pendulous : 

 style simple ; stigma obtuse. Fruit baccate or drupaceous, naked or covered 

 by the enlarged perianth, peduncle of the fruit sometimes becoming fleshy. 

 Seed solitary, pendulous ; albumen ; embryo inverted ; cotyledons large, 

 plano-convex, peltate near the base ; radicle very short, superior ; plumule 

 conspicuous. Trees with exstipulate, alternate, rarely opposite leaves ; some- 

 times twining, parasitic, and leafless herbs or under-shrubs. They are natives 

 chiefly of the tropical regions of Asia and America. Few are found in Africa. 

 The order has been divided into two sub-orders : 1. Laurei^, true Laurels, trees 

 with leaves. 2. Cassytheaj, Dodder-laurels, climbing parasitic plants, Avithout 

 leaves. 



The more elaborate arrangement of this family by Nees d'Esenbeck, 

 gives the following sub-orders: 1. Ciniiamo?nea . Example: Cinnamomum. 

 2. Cauiphorea'. Example : Camphora. 8. Phoebeoi. Example : Phoebe. 

 4. Persecü. Example : Persea. 5. Cryptocanjecv. Examples : Crypto- 

 carya, Adenostemon. G. AcrodicUdiea\ Example : Aydendron. 7. 

 Nectandrcce. Example : Nectandra. 8. DicypeUiec^. Example : Peta- 

 lanthera. 9. Orcodaphnea'. Example : Oreodaphne. 10. Flaviflores. 

 Examples: Sassafras, Benzoin. 11. Tetrantherea. Examples: Laurus, 

 Tetranthera. 12. DaphnidlecB. Example : Daphnidium. 13. CassythccK. 

 Example : Cassytha. 



Plants of this family yield many products of importance. Camphor is a 

 106 



