524 XC. MYRISTICACE^ [Myristica 



■with rare exceptions dioicous, perianth as a rule 3-lobed, valvate in bud. $ , 

 anthers usually sessile 6-30, on a sessile or stipitate column or disk. $ , ovary 

 one, free, style short or none, ovule 1, erect. Seed enclosed in a thin or fleshy 

 •entire or lacerate mostly red arillus. Embryo basal, surrounded by a large 

 •oily ruminate albumen. 



Hairs peculiar, mostly consisting of one row of superposed, generally branching, 

 and often horizontal cells. The "branches or ends of the cells spread out in two or 

 .several directions, often giving the appearance of stellate hairs. Med. rays numerous, 

 very fine. The bark of most species contains long sacs filled with brown or red juice. 



Warburg divides this Order into 15 genera, 6 of which belong to tropical Africa, 5 

 to tropical America, while 4 are Asiatic. Here these genera are entered as sections of 

 Myristica. 



MYRISTICA, Linn. ; Fl. Brit. Ind. v. 102. 



(George King, the species of Myristica of British India, Ann. Bot. Gard. Calc, 

 iii. 3. 1891.) 



I. Myristica, Linn, (in part) ; Warburg 374. Fl. urceolate or campanulate, 

 anthers 12-30, linear, adnate to a column, which is often stipitate and 

 frequently prolonged beyond the anthers, stigmas sessile. Bracteoles 

 appressed to the perianth. Arillus laciniate to the base. Species 81, from 

 India to tropical Australia. 



A. <$ fl. numerous, on a thick woody tubercle. 



1. M. magniflca, Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 268 ; King, Ann. Bot. Gard. Calc. iii. 1. 119. Vern. 

 ■Chura p&.nu, Tarn.; Kottha panu, Mai. Evergreen forest on the Gairsoppah Ghat 

 (Talbot) and at the foot of the Travancore Ghats. A very tall tree, when young the 

 trunk furnished in its lower portion with large aerial roots, which later on support 

 the tree. Young shoots, underside of 1. and inflorescence densely clothed with reddish 

 ■or golden tomentum of stellate hairs. L. coriaceous, elliptic-oblong, blade 12-24, pet. 

 stout, deeply channelled, 4_-l in. long. S fl. sessile, or nearly so, 8-20 crowded on a 

 thick woody often forked tubercle, very short or up to | in. long. Fr. solitary or in 

 pairs on thick short pedicels, oblong, 3-4 by 2 in., arillus deeply cleft into a few broad 

 divisions, these subdivided into numerous linear branches attaining to the apex of 

 the seed. 2. M. laurifolia, Hook. f. & Thorns. ; Bedd. Fl. Sylv. t. 267. Wild Nutmeg. 

 Vern. Jaipkal, Mar. ; Jathika, Tarn. Western Ghats from the Satara district south- 

 wards, ascending from the foot to 5,000 ft. Nilgiris, Anamalais. A middle-sized or 

 large tree, youngest shoots and inflorescence rusty tomentose, branchlets wrinkled. 

 1. coriaceous, glabrous beneath, blade 6-10, pet. |-1J in. long. Sec. n. impressed above. 

 (J fl. 6-15 together, each supported by a broad ovate bract at the base of the cylindrical 

 perianth. Fr. ellipsoid or globose, 2-3 in. long. Aril deeply cut into 10-14 lobes, 

 which are divided into filiform segments. Warburg I.e. 504, 507 distinguishes 

 "2 species : M. Beddomei, King, Ann. t. 118 figs. 2-8, fr. globose and M. contorta, Warb., 

 fr. ellipsoid. M. laurifolia, King, Ann. t. 112 he restricts to the Ceylon tree. 



B. (J fl. in panicled cymes, peduncles slender. 



3. M. fragrans, Houttuyn; Ann. Bot. Gard. Calc. iii. t. 108. — Syn. M. aromatica, 

 Lamk. ; Koxb. Cor. PI. t. 274. The Nutmeg. Vern. Jaiphal, Hind. ; Jathikai, Tam. 

 Originally indigenous in the southern Moluccas. Cultivated on a large scale in places 

 in the Malay Peninsula and the Archip. , also on Grenada and a few other West Indian 

 islands. In gardens throughout the tropics. Attains 30-60 ft., 1. glaucous beneath, 

 blade 3-5, pet. i in. long. S peduncles 3-20-, sometimes only 1-2-fld., perianth urceo- 

 late, \ in. long. Fruit yellow, solitary, shortly stalked, l|-2i_ in. long, aril (mace) red, 

 fleshy, fenestrate from the base, enclosing the seed. 4. M. malabarica, Lam. ; Bedd. Fl. 

 Sylv. t. 269 ; King, Ann. iii. 1. 109. False Nutmeg. Vern. Kat Jathikai, Tam. ; Ponnam 

 panu, Mai. Evergreen forest at the foot of the Western Ghats, from the Konkan 

 southwards. A moderate-sized tree, branchlets nearly smooth, slightly ribbed, 1. 

 chartaceous, glaucous or dull brown beneath, blade 5-7, pet. slender J-l in. long, tert. 

 n. very faint. S fl- numerous, in trichotomous panicles, perianth nearly globose, J in. 

 diam., peduncles often extra-axillary. Fr. rusty brown-pubescent, hard, oblong, 

 '2x4 in., aril yellow, completely enclosing the seed. 5. M. andamanica. Hook. f. (M. 

 ■elliptica, Kurz F. Fl. ii. 282). King, Ann. iii. t. 115. Andamans, on the hills. A 

 middle-sized tree, young shoots glabrous, 1. rigidly coriaceous when full grown, blade 

 9-15 by 4-6 in., sec. n. prominent, 12-15 pair. $ fl. 8-12 in supra-axillary peduncu- 



