156 



MYR 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



MYR 



substance of the leaves is full of linear dots, which are 

 transparent and resinous. The Balsam of Peru is the pro- 

 duce of this tree; which is found growing abundantly in 

 open coppices, at the foot of the mountain De la Popae, near 

 Carthagena. 



My nine; a genus of the class of Pentandria, order Mo- 

 nogynia. - GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix : perianth five- 

 parted, small ; leaflets subovate, permanent. Corolla : one- 

 petalled, half five-cleft; segments half-ovate, converging, 

 blunt. Stamina: filamenta five, scarcely visible, inserted 

 into the middle of the corolla ; antherse awl-shaped, erect, 

 shorter than the corolla. Pistil: germen subglobular, 

 almost filling the corolla ; style cylindric, longer than the 

 corolla, permanent ; stigma large, woolly, hanging on the 

 outside of the flower. Pericarp : berry roundish, depressed, 

 one-celled. Seed: (according to Gsertner) one, subglobular, 

 fixed obliquely to the bottom, of the berry. Observe. 

 Unity is frequently subtracted in all parts of the fructifi- 

 cation ; the unripe berry has five seeds, but when ripe it 

 has only one. ESSENTIAL CHARACTER. Corolla: half- 

 five-cleft, converging. Germen: filling the corolla. Berry: 

 one-seeded, with a five-celled nucleus. - The species are, 



1. Myrsine Africana ; African Myrsine. Leaves elliptic, 

 acute ; flowers axillary, in threes, on short peduncles ; corolla 

 pale, with rugged testaceous dots,ciliate, closed. It flowers 

 from March to May. Native of the Cape. 



2. Myrsine Retusa; Round-leaved Myrsine, or Tamaja. 

 Leaves obovate, obtuse, emarginate, toothletted at top ; 

 berries the size of red currants . it resembles the first 

 species very much, but is smaller. Flowers in June ; native 

 of the Azores. 



Myrtle. See Myrtus. 



. 



Myrtus; a genus of the class Icosandria, order Mono- 

 gynia. GENERIC CHARACTER. Calix: perianth one- 

 leafed, four or five cleft, bluntish, superior, raised internally 

 into a subvillose ring, permanent. Corolla: petals four or 

 five, ovate, entire, large, inserted into the calix. Stamina: 

 filamenta very many, capillary, the length of the corolla, 

 inserted into the calicine ring ; antherse roundish, small. 

 Pistil : germen inferior, two-celled or three-celled ; the 

 seeds fixed to the partition ; style simple, filiform ; stigma 

 blunt. Pericarp: berry oval, umbilicated with the calix, 

 one, two, or three celled. Seeds : few, kidney-form. ESSEN- 

 TIAL CHARACTER. Calix: five-cleft, superior. Petals. 

 five. Berry : two or three celled. Seeds : several, gibbous 

 The species are, 



1 . Myrtus Communis ; Common Myrtle. Flowers soli- 

 tary ; involucre two-leaved. Trunk irregular, branching 

 covered with a brown, rough, scaling bark ; leaves ovate, 01 

 ovate-lanceolate, entire, smooth on both sides, dark green 

 paler underneath, opposite, and decussated ; the flowers 

 come out singly from the axils, and have a two-leaved invo 

 lucre under them ; corolla white : they flower in July am 

 August. The principal varieties, according to Mr. Miller 

 are as follows: 1. The common Broad-leaved, or Roman 

 Myrtle, so called from being found in the neighbourhood o 

 Rome, grows to the height of eight or ten feet in England 

 but is much higher in Italy, where it is the principal under 

 wood of some of the forests ; the leaves are broader, tin 

 flowers larger, and the footstalks shorter, than most of th 

 other varieties. Some call it the Flowering Myrtle, becaus 

 it flowers more freely in England than the others. - Th 

 woods between Leghorn and Pisa have Cork Trees for th 

 timber, and this kind of Myrtle for the underwood. 2. Th 



5ox-leaved Myrtle, has the leaves oval, small, sessile, of a 

 ucid green, and ending in obtuse points ; the branches 

 eak, and frequently hanging down, when permitted to 

 >row without shortening ; the bark is grayish ; the flowers 

 mall, coming late in the summer, and the berries small and 

 ound. 3. The common Italian Myrtle, has ovate-lanceo- 

 ate leaves, ending in acute points ; the branches grow more 

 rect than in either of the preceding, as also do the leaves ; 

 icnce the gardeners call it the Upright Myrtle. 4. Orange- 

 eaved, or, as it is sometimes called, Bay-leaved Myrtle, has 

 a stronger stalk and branches, and rises to a greater height ; 

 he leaves are ovate-lanceolate, in clusters round the 

 iranches, and of a dark green ; the flowers are of a mid 

 lling size, and come out sparingly from between the leave's ; 

 he berries are oval and smaller than those of the first, and 

 t is also less hardy. 5. The Portugal Myrtle, the leaves of 

 vhich are much smaller than those of the next, being less 

 han an inch long, and not more than half an inch broad, 

 anceolate-ovate, acute, of a dull green, and set pretty close 

 n the branches ; the flowers are smaller, the berries small 

 and oval. 6. The Broad-leaved Dutch Myrtle has leaves 

 much less than those of the common sort, and more pointed, 

 standing close together on the branches ; the midrib on the 

 under side of the leaves is of a purple colour : they are of a 

 darker green, and sit closer to the branches ; the flowers 

 are smaller, and on shorter peduncles, and they appear rather 

 ater than in the common sort. The Double-flowering 

 Myrtle is probably a variety of this. 7. The Rosemary- 

 eaved, or, as some call it, Thyme-leaved Myrtle, has the 

 tranches growing pretty erect; the leaves small, narrow, 

 acute, sessile, and of a lucid green ; flowers small, appearing 

 late in the season. The above varieties, which Mr. Miller 

 tias considered as distinct species, are constant ; there are 

 others propagated for sale in the gardens and nurseries, 

 which are less considerable and more variable, the names of 

 which will be sufficient; they are, 1. Gold-striped Broad- 

 leaved Myrtle. 2. Broad-leaved Jew's Myrtle, having the 

 leeves frequently in threes, on which account it is said to be 

 in esteem among the Jews in their religious ceremonies. 

 3. Gold-striped Orange-leaved Myrtle. 4. Silver-striped 

 Italian Myrtle, 5. Striped Box-leaved Myrtle. 6. Silver- 

 striped Rosemary-leaved Myrtle. 7. Silver-striped Nutmeg 

 Myrtle. 8. Cock's-comb, or Bird's-nest Myrtle. The 

 Myrtle is a rare instance of the same name prevailing in the 

 Greek and Latin, and all the modern European languages, 

 with a very slight difference : the Germans call it Myrte, or 

 Myrterbaum; the Dutch, Myrtus; the Danes, Myrter ; 

 the Swedes, Myrtem ; the French, le Myrle ; the Italians 

 and Spaniards, Myrto ; and the Portuguese, Murta, or 

 Myrta. This shrub was a great favourite among the an- 

 cients, for its elegance and evergreen sweet leaves. It was 

 sacred to Venus, and adorned the brows of bloodless 

 victors, for myrtle wreaths were worn as symbols of autho- 

 rity by the Athenian magistrates. Both branches and 

 berries were put' into wine, and the latter were used for 

 culinary purposes. Lewis observes, that they appear to be 

 of a mild, restringent, and strengthening nature, and are 

 recommended against all kinds of fluxes, and other dis- 

 orders arising from relaxation and debility ; they have a 

 roughish, but not an unpleasant taste, accompanied with a 

 degree of sweetness and an aromatic flavour ; the leaves 

 likewise possess considerable astringency, and yield, when 

 bruised, a pretty strong aromatic smell. Hill also observes, 

 that the leaves and berries of the Myrtle are cordial and. 

 astringent ; and that a strong infusion of the former is) 

 good against slight purgings, and strengthens the stomach 



