MYRICACE.E— BAYBERRY FAMILY 



SWEET GALE. DUTCH MYRTLE 



Myrica, of Greek derivation, but of obscure application to 

 this plant. 



Erect, three to five feet high, and forming tangled patches; 

 growing in places which are inundated through a part of the 

 year. Ranges from Labrador and Newfoundland through New 

 England and the Middle States as far south as Virginia and 

 along the Great Lakes to Minnesota. Roots long, matted. 



6'/'<^wj-.— pjranches and ui)per part a rich dark i)urple, polished 

 and shining. On old and lower stems the outer bark cracks and 

 rolls horizontally, becoming rough, and in color })ale. 



Winter buds. — Leaf buds minute. Staminate aments in the 

 axils of the upper leaves in short, ovoid, pointed buds. 



Z^c77w. ^Alternate, simple, one and one-lialf to two an-d one- 

 half inches long, oblanceolate, wedge-shaped at base, partly 

 entire but serrate toward the apex, which is a little poir.ted. 

 They come out of the bud revolute, pale green, slightly hairy, 

 dotted with pale amber resinous dots above and below; when full 

 grown are a dull dark green, glabrous above, downy on the \eiiis 

 below and sprinkled with minute, yellow, resinous dots above and 

 below. Fragrant. 



Flowers. — April. Mostly dioecious, individual flowers solitary 

 under a scaledike bract. Staminate flowers borne in catkins an 

 inch or more long, terminal ; scales on short stalks, covered with 

 resinous dots. Stamens three or four; anthers large, o])ening 

 with four valves. Pistillate catkins arc ovoitl ; scales triangular; 

 stigmas two-lobed, puri)le, threadlike. 



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