10 MYBISTICACEjE. 



ORDER v.— MYRISTICACE^, Lindl. Nat. Syst. p. 15. 



THE NUTMEG TRIBE. 



Trees often yielding a red juice, (R. Br.) and arranged under three 

 genera, Myristica, L., Virola, Aubl., and Knema, Lour. According to our 

 materials, these contain 48 species, of which 29 are described, and 19 only 

 named. Myristica numbers 46 species ; 27 inhabiting the Moluccas, 

 Cochin- China, Java, Ceylon, and the ultra-gangetic Peninsula of India ; 4, 

 the intra-gangetic Peninsula of India ; 3, S. America ; 2, Madagascar ; 1, 

 Aleppo ; 1 , Mauritius ; 2, Chittagong ; 2, the Khassya Mountains ; and 

 2 New Holland. Virola and Knema have each but one species, the first a 

 native of Guiana, the second found in Penang. 



As to the properties of this order, all that can be said is this : ' The 

 bark (of the well known species) abounds in an acrid juice, which is viscid 

 and stains red ; the rind of the fruit is caustic ; the aril and albumen, the 

 former known under the name of Mace, and the latter of Nutmeg, are im- 

 portant aromatics, abounding in a fixed oil of a consistence analogous to 

 fat, which, in a species called Virola sebifera, Aubl. is so copious as to be 

 extracted easily by immersing the seeds in hot water. The common Nut- 

 meg is the produce of Myristica moschata, but an aromatic fruit is also 

 borne by other species. The Nutmeg of Santa Fe is the Myristica Otoba, 

 Humb.' (Lindl.) 

 Myristica, L. (Spreng. syst. 3, p. 6, No. 2382 ; — R. Br. pr. p. 399 and 



400.) 



1. moschata, Thunb. (Spreng. o. c. p. 64 ; — Roxb. fl. ind. 3, p. 843 ; 

 — J. Grah. Cat. B. pi. p. 175. — M. officinalis, L., Gartn.fr. I, p. 

 194, t. 41,/. 1. Hook. exot. fl. t. 155-6 ,—B. M. 54, t. 2756-57. 

 — M. aromatica. Lam., — Roxb. Corom. 3, /. 267. — Nux Myristica, 

 Rumph. 2, t. 4.) True Nutmeg Tree. — b. 25 feet. — Moluccas. Suc- 

 cessfully cultivated in Sumatra, Bencoolen, and Penang. Fl. small, 

 pale yellow, inodorous. In H. C. G. some old trees, introduced in 

 1797, fl. R. S. ;fr. H. and R. S. (Roxb.)—MiiCQ.—\^;:^^Jytree.— 

 Albumen (Nutmeg) ^ijT^j Juyphul. The nut contains a volatile, 

 as well as a fixed oil. 



2. tomentosa, Thunb. (Spreng. o. c. p. 65; — J. Grah. Cat. B.pl.p. 

 175. — Rheede, 4, t. 5.) — M. malabarica, Lam. b. Moluccas, Malabar, 

 S. Concan. Fl. small, yellowish. In H. C. G. Fl. ? 



3. peltata, Roxb. (Fl. ind. 3, p. 846.) b. Mountains of the Moluccas. 

 Introduced into H. C. G. in 1798, and the o^ there fl. H. S. 

 (Roxb.) 



4. spicata, Roxb. (Fl. ind. 3, p. 847.) b. Moluccas. Introduced into 

 H. C. G. in 1798. In 1804, the ? fl. R. S., but proved abortive. 

 No jjart of the tree possesses any fragrance. (Roxb.) 



