MYRICA.] MYRICACE^E. 347 



ORDER LXXVI. MYRICA'CEJE. 



Shrubs or trees, often with a glandular wax-secreting pubescence ; buds 

 scaly. Leaves alternate, simple, exstipulate (with one exception). Catkins 

 axillary, simple or compound, 2-sexual with male flowers below, or 1- 

 seznal. Flowers bracteate or not. Perianth 0. MALE. Stamens 2-16, fila- 

 ments free or connate ; anthers basifixed, dehiscing outwards. FEMALE. 

 Ovary sessile, 1 -celled ; styles 2, lateral, filiform, stigmatic all over ; 

 ovule 1, sessile, basal, orthotropous. Fruit a papillose drupe with a 

 1-seeded stone, sometimes 2-winged from being adnate to the enlarged 

 bracteoles. Seed erect, testa thin, albumen ; cotyledons fleshy plano- 

 convex, radicle superior. DISTRIB. N. temp, zone, trop. Asia, S. Africa, 

 N. America ; genus 1 ; species 30. AFFINITIES. Close with Juglandece. 

 PROPERTIES. Yield wax, resin, benzoic acid, and tannin. 



1. MYR'lCA, L. SWEET-GALE, BOG-MYRTLE. 



Character of the Order. ETYM. The Greek name. 



1. M. Gale, L. ; leaves narrowly cuneate-obovate or -lanceolate serrate 

 towards the tip, stamens ebracteolatt, ovary 2-bracteolate. 

 Bogs and moors; ascending to 1,800 ft. in the Highlands; fl. May- July. 



Shrub 2-3 ft., twiggy, suberect, resinous, fragrant. Leaves 2-3 in. , rarely 



quite entire, obtuse or acute, very shortly petioled, often pubescent beneath. 



Catkins flowering before the leaves appear; male J-l in., racemose, crowded, 



erect ; scales broadly ovate, concave, anthers red ; female $ in., styles red. 



1 >,'!>?, minute, lenticular, adnate to the persistent bracts. DISTRIB. Europe, 



except Italy Greece and Turkey, N. Asia, N. America. Much used in 



cottage-practice and for tea-making. 



ORDER LXXVII. CONIFER-ffi. 



Trees or shrubs ; wood without medullary rays or vascular tissue proper ; 

 wood-cells studded with disks. Leaves usually alternate, rigid, linear or 

 subulate, solitary, or fascicled in membranous sheaths. Flowers monoe- 

 cious or dioecious, males in deciduous catkins ; females in cones ; perianth 

 0. MALE of many 1- or more-celled anthers seated on the scales of the 

 catkin, filaments or connate. FEMALE 1 or more sessile naked 

 orthotropous or anatropous ovules (carpels of some) seated on an open 

 carpdlary leaf (bract of some), which is adnate to the scale of the cone. 

 Seeds often winged, testa thin or thick, albumen densely fleshy ; embryo 

 axile, straight, cotyledons 2 or more, radicle terete often attached to a 

 crumpled thread (suspensor). DISTRIB. Especially cold regions ; very rare 

 in trop. Africa and America ; genera 33 ; species about 300. AFFINITIES. 

 With Ctjcadeoe and G-netacece. PROPERTIES. Yield terebinthine, succinic 

 acid, pitch, tar, turpentine, valuable woods, and a few edible seeds. 

 TK-BK I. ABIETI'NE-ffi. Flowers monojcious. Cones usually large, conical ; 

 scales more or less woody. Pollen, curved. 



Cone woodj T , scales persistent 1. Pinus. 



Tin UK 1 1. CUPRESSI'NEJE. Flowers mon-di-cecious. Cones usually globose 

 or short, scales woody or fleshy, persistent. Pollen globose. 



Cone fleshy, globose; scales connate 2, Juniperus. 



