CHAP, CIX. 



MY R 1 CA CEyE . COM PTO N I A. 



2059 



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

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

 Messrs. Loddiges's. 



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

 >V. aethiopica Lin. Syst., 884., Reich. 4. p. 424. ; M. conlfera 

 Burnt. Prod., 27., Plul<. Phyt., t. 48. f. 8. Leaves linear-lanceo- 

 late, pointed, dee|ily 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 tSie serraturcs of the 

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

 those of A/, 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. qucrcifulia Lin. Sp. PI., 1453., Keich., 4. p. 424., Burm. Fl. 

 Ind., t 98. f. 1., Hort. Cliffi, 45G., Pluk. Aim., t. 424., N. Du 

 Ham., 2. p. 193., Lam. Encyc, 2. p. 593., Lodd. Cat., ed. 18,'>6 ; 

 Laurus 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 3ft 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. Inti'oduce<l before 1752, as it was cultivated in that year by Miller. 



M. q. fiirsi)ta Mill. Diet., Ait. Hort. Kew., edit. 2., v. p. 380., only differs from the preceding in 

 having the leaves hairy. 



M. cordifiilia Lin. Sp., 1454., Reicli., 4. p. 245., Hort Cliff., 456., Pluk. Phyt, t. Sla f. 7., N. Du 

 Ham., 2. p. 193., Roy Lugdb., 527; Alafemoides 7'licis f6Iio, ^-c, Walt. Hort., 3. t 3. ; M. fbliis sub 

 cord^tis, &c., Burm. Afr., t. 98. f. 3. ; Gale capensis, &c , Petiu. Mus., 774. ; Coriotragematodcndros 

 i'licis aculeat<B R>\io Pluk. Al7n., 65., Pluk. Phyt., t 319. f. 7. ; A/, capensis io<W. Cat.;'[SS6; has 

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

 wand-like branches; downy and reildisli when young, and murh leafed; according to the Aoi/jvok 

 Du Hamel, the most ornamental species of tiie genus. The leaves are numerous, small, heart- 

 sliaped, and dentated. It flowers in May and June. Tlie berries are rather 

 hirger than those of M. cerifera. A native of the Cape, cultivated 17,59, by Jliller. 

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

 fiilia), 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 cat it like a piece of 

 bread, with or without meat." {Thiinherg's Travels, \. x>.\iXl.) We have little 

 doubt that this species would thrive against a conservative wall. 



App. ii. Half-hardy Species ofMyrica not 

 yet introduced. 



M. spathulhta Mirb. Mi!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 2i in. long, and iin. to 1 in. broad. Found in Madagascar bv 

 M. Pcrodet. * ' 



Genus II. 



1970 



COMPTO'Ni^ Banks. The Comptonia. Lin. Syst. Monoe'cia Triandria. 



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



Synonymes. Liquidambar Lin Sp. ; A/yrlca Lin. Hort. Cliff., 456., Oron. Virg., 2. p. 155. ; Gule 



Petiv. Mus., 773. ; Comptone, Fr. ; 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. 



Description, t'y-c. A low evergreen shrub, a native of North America, in 

 moist peaty soils, nearly allied to ilfyrica. Only one species has hitherto 

 been described. 



« I. C. -4sPLENiFo^LiA Banks. The Asplenium-leaved Comptonia. 



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



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



Cat., ed. 18.56. 

 Synonynu-s. Liquidambar nsplenifblium Lin. Sp., 1418., Du Hani. Arb., 1. p. 366. ; L. peregrlnuni 



Lin. Syst., 860., Reich., 4. p. 171. ; Myr\ca Lin. Hort. Cliff'., 456., Gron. f'irg., 155., Cold. Noveb., 



224., Mill. Diet., No. 4. ; Giile mariina Pet. Mus., 773. ; A/yrtus brabantica; affinis Pluk. Phut., 



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

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



Spec. Char., Sfc. Leaves long, linear, alternate, crenately pinnatifid. 

 ( Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 3-20.) A deciduous shrub, 3 ft. or 4 ft. high. The young 



