526 XC. MYBJSTICACEyE [Myristica 



Sikkim, Khasi hills. Cachar. Chittagong. Burma, Upper (Nyaungma Kunthwe) and 

 Lower. A middle-sized tree, young shoots slightly hairy, 1. coriaceous, pale beneath, 

 oblong-lanceolate, blade 6-12, pet. }-§ in. long, base cuneate, sec. n. 18-25 pair, g fl. 

 obovoid or globose, ^-J in. diam., pedicel usually longer than fl., bracteole above the 

 middle. Fr. 2-3 on axillary woody tubercles f in. long, pedicels slender, J-J in., aril 

 membranous. Smales describes the Upper Burma tree with a Tegular pyramidal crown, 

 6* fl. outside greenish, androeciurn crimson. M. gibbosa, Hook. fil. & Thorns. : King, 

 Ann. iii. t. 159 probably is only a variety with the fr. gibbous at base. 



B. S fl. less than \ in. diam. 



14. M. glaucescens, Hook, f . in Fl. Brit, Ind. v. Ill, including M. glauca, Blume ; King, 

 Ann. iii. t. 157 and M. missionis, Wall. ; King, Ann. iii. t. 158. Andamans, N ieobars, 

 Tenasserim. — Malay Peninsula. L. chartaceous, lanceolate or linear-lanceolate, glau- 

 cous beneath, blade 5-8, pet. J-| in. long. $ fl. nearly globose, x's-J in- diam , pedicels 

 twice the length of fl. Fr. ovoid or (31. missionis) globose up to 1 in. long. 15. M. 

 malayana, Warburg (Knema). — Syn. M. gJauceseens, King, Ann. iii. t. 161. Malay 

 Peninsula. Burma (?). Differs by longer pedicels of $ fl. and of fr. 



Order XCI. LAURACE^:. Gen. PL iii. 146 (Laurinea). 



Aromatic trees or erect shrubs with alternate, sometimes whorled, rarely 

 opposite leaves, as a rule entire and mostly evergreen. No stipules. Flowers 

 solitary orin involucrate heads, often dioicous. Perianth regular, deeply 6- (some- 

 times 4-) cleft, segments in 2 circles, the tube often enlarged in fruit. Stamens 

 perigjTious, normally 12 in 4 circles, the 3 stamens of the innermost circle 

 generalty reduced to more or less fleshy staminodes or wanting, the filament, 

 of the next circle biglandular at base, the stamens of the two outer circles 

 opposite to the perianth-segments. Filaments flat, anthers adnate, cells 2 or 4, 

 opening by valve?. Ovary free, 1-celled, usually one pendulous ovule, style 

 simple. Fruit a berry or drupe, often supported by the persistent perianth. 

 Seed one, without albumen, cotyledons thick, oily, enclosing the plumule and 

 short superior radicle. 



Laurels, as far as known, have no heart-wood, the timber is not heavy, not hard, 

 that of many species is handsome and of some very durable. From a forest point of 

 view the Order deserves more attention in India than it has hitherto received. And 

 it should be borne in mind that their aromatic essential oil may give to some species 

 not yet known commercially, considerable importance for perfumery and in other 

 Ways. Medullary rays fine, uniform and equidistant. Vessels small or moderate 

 sized, uniformly distributed. In the parenchyma of young shoots, of leaves, bracts 

 and perianth, as well as in the bark and often also in the wood, large cells filled with 

 essential oil, and frequently also cells filled with mucilage. In the bracts and perianth 

 the oil cells are readily seen as transparent dots. Hairs always unicellular. As far 

 as known, Laurels coppice well. 



A. Flowers solitary, bisexual, generally paniculate. 



a. Anthers 2-celled, perfect stamens 9. 



Perianth-tube accrescent, enclosing the fruit . 1. Cryptocarya. 

 Fruit supported at its base by the 6-cleft 



perianth Apollonias (p. 528). 



Perianth deciduous, pedicel thickened, coloured 



in fruit Dehaasia (p. 528). 



Perianth deciduous, pedicel not thickened in fruit 2. Beilschmiedia. 



b. Anthers 2- or 1-celled, perfect stamens 3 or 4. 



Perianth-segments 6, perfect stamens 3 . . Ekdiandra (p. 529). 

 Perianth-segments 4, perfect stamens 4 . . Svkdiclis (p. 529). 



c. Anthers 4-celled, perfect stamens 9 or more, 



Perfect stamens 9, sepals 6, persistent, spread- 

 ing or reflexed in fruit 3. Machixus. 



Perfect stamens 9, fruit on the thickened pedicel, 



perianth-segments deciduous . . . .4. Alseodaphne. 



Perfect stamens 10-15, fr. on the flat thick 



perianth-tube ....... 5. Dodecadenia. 



B. Flowers solitary, polygamous or bisexual, paniculate, anthers 4-celled. 



Segments of perianth erect, hard, clasping base of fruit 6. Phoibe. 

 Fruit on enlarged perianth-tube, segments mostly 



deciduous 7. Cinnamomum. 



