MYMSTICACEJ2. 499 



GENUS. 



Myristica L. — Flowers dioecious ; receptacle short convex. Pe- 

 rianth simple calyciform, usually 3-lobed, more rarely 2-4-lobed, 

 valvate. Stamens, in female flower ; in male, either 3-alterni- 

 petalous, or more frequently 4-12 or cc ; anthers of variable form, 

 2-celled extrorse, rimose longitudinally ; filaments either free from 

 base or middle upwards, or longitudinally adnate to a common 

 stalk, or else connate dorsally or by base around or above a stalk, 

 more rarely radiating ; connective often produced into a short point 

 on each anther, or all connectives uniting form a short point. 

 Grermen in male 0, in female free 1 -celled; stigma short subsessile 

 subentire, depressed or slightly 2-lobed. Ovule 1, subbasilar 

 ascending anatropous ; micropyle inferior dorsal. Fruit fleshy, 

 dehiscing late, longitudinally 2- or more rarely 4-valved. Seed 

 suberect sessile ; aril entire at base, usually lobed or cut above 

 middle, coloured, thin or fleshy, often aromatic, involute ; integu- 

 ment threefold ; outermost layer membranous or subcarnose ; 

 middle testaceous ; innermost thin, with interior folds between 

 lobes of ruminated albumen. Embryo minute, near apex of copious 

 fleshy albumen ; radicle short inferior ; cotyledons diverging, Hat 

 or crispate-undulate. — Trees or shrubs, often aromatic and filled 

 with juice ; leaves alternate (distichous) entire, usually coriaceous 

 with pellucid dots, penniveined, involute-conduplicate in vernation, 

 exstipulate ; inflorescence racemose ; racemes (often spurious) simple 

 or more frequently branched, few- or more frequently many- 

 flowered, axillary or super-axillary {All tropical countries). Seep. 492. 



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