334 SYSTEMATIC BOTANY. 



true laurel, and which contain much hydrocyanic acid. A Concrete green 

 oil, called Oil of Bays, is obtained from the true Laurel leaves. 



The ATHEROSPERMACE^E are trees like Monimiaceae, but with the 

 flowers sometimes perfect, the anthers opening- by lid-like valves, and the 

 perispermic seeds erect ; the nuts are enclosed in the tube of the perianth, 

 and the persistent styles grow out into feathery awns, whence the plants 

 are called Plume-nutmegs. They are chiefly distinguished from Moni- 

 iniaceae by their anthers, which resemble those of Lauraceae, from which 

 they are distinguished by the apocarpous ovaries, the diclinous flowers, 

 and erect perispermic seeds, and are allied to Myristicacese by the dicli- 

 nous flowers and aromatic perispermic seeds. The valvate anthers here, 

 as observed by Dr. Hooker, indicate affinity to Berberaceae rather than to 

 Lauraceae. Two of the genera, Laurelia and Atherosperma, are natives 

 of Australia ; Doryphora is Chilian ; they have fragrant properties, and 

 a decoction of the bark of A. moschata is sometimes used as a substitute 

 for Tea. 



are sometimes placed in this neighbourhood, but have 

 been treated of formerly (see p. 200). 



MYRISTICACESE (THE NUTMEG ORDER) are tropical trees with 

 alternate, entire, leathery, exstipulate dotted leaves ; flowers diclinous, 

 apetalous, clustered or racemose ; perianth 3- or rarely 4-fid, leathery, 

 valvate ; stamens of the barren flower distinct or monadelphous ; anthers 

 3-12, perfect, extrorse ; perianth of the fertile flower deciduous ; carpels 

 solitary or numerous, rarely 2, and distinct ; ovules 1 in each cell ; fruit 

 succulent, containing a seed surrounded by a lobed arillus, and having a 

 small embryo in copious oily-fleshy ruminated perisperm. Illustrative 

 Genera : Myristica, L ; Hyalostemma^ Wall. ; Virola, Aubl. 



Affinities, &c. The nearest relations of this Order are with the apocar- 

 pous Thalamiflorous Orders, more particularly Anonaceae, with which 

 they agree in the dotted leaves, valvate aestivation, extrorse anthers, 

 apocarpous ovaries and ruminated perisperm ; but the flowers are usually 

 perfect in that Order. The structure of the seeds connects Monimiaceae 

 and Atherosperniaceae with this Order ; but they have opposite leaves, 

 besides other peculiarities. The aril originates both from the hilum and 

 the micropyle. In many points they resemble Magnoliaceae, but differ in 

 the valvate calyx, absence of corolla, monadelphous stamens, solitary 

 carpel and ovule. The resemblance to Sterculiaceae seems to have been 

 overlooked ; nevertheless there are many points of contact between the 

 present family and the tribe Sterculieae, in the apetalous unisexual 

 flowers, the valvate calyx, the monadelphous stamens, the arillate 

 seeds. In their active qualities and habit they somewhat resemble 

 Lauraceae. 



Distribution. Tropical India and America; most numerous in the 

 former. 



Qualities and Uses. Aromatic and acrid. The common Nutmeg is 

 the seed of Myristica moschata (Moluccas), Mace being the laciniated 

 arillus surrounding this. Coarse, interior Nutmegs are obtained from 

 M. Otoba in Brazil, M. sjniria in the Indian islands, and others of the 



