NOTES ON MYRICACEE 83 
former was recognized as a distinct genus in the Banksian her- 
barium, where several sheets are Mere up by Solander Comptonia 
asplenifolia MS. Gaertner (Fruct. ii. p. 58, t. 60) published, in 
1791, a full diagnosis ‘‘ ex schedis Bolandsi, ” ate prints the genus 
as Comptonia Banks. The citation in the Kew Index is ‘‘ Banks ex 
Gaertner,” and M. Chevalier also ascribes the genus to Banks. But 
Aiton in Hort, Kew. iii. 334 (1789), two years before, gives a brief 
lawsoaia of the genus (to which M. Chevalier ar quoting it as 
‘**Comptonia L’Hérit. Stirp. Nov. tom. 2, tab. 5 L’Héritier’s 
plate was never published, and the genus must abi i be quoted 
as Comptonia Ait. There can be no doubt as to the identity of the 
plants of Gaertner and Aiton, as the only specimen quoted by the 
latter is one Cultivated } in 1714 by the Duchess of Beaufort, ‘ Br. 
Mus. H. 8. 141, fol. 87,” and reference to the Sloane herbarium 
shows this to be the plant in questio 
Myrica Gale and its few close allies appear under Gale, a pre- 
Linnean name quoted by Adanson (Fam. d. Plantes, ii. 845 [1763] ) 
from Tournefort 
The family therefore contains three genera, the main distinc- 
tion between which lies in the female flower and the fruit. 
ALE. —Ovar ary smooth, subtended by two entire bracteoles, 
ne form air-floats in the fruit; fruits in dense subcylindrical 
spikes. 
mptonia.—Ovary smooth, subtended by two laciniate brac 
teoles, provided with emergences at the base, and developing into 
a eupale. Fruit in spherical spikes. 
Mynica.—Ovary covered with waxy or fleshy real eae brac- 
teoles wha or not ceca it in a 
Comptonia is distinguished by its stipulate ecg M. Che- — 
valier also points out the following anatomical distinctions. 
ale has scattered islands of sclerenchyma in the cortex of the 
Ea stem, while the groups of secondary bast have no scleren- 
chymatous elements. Comptonia has a complete sclerenchymatous 
ring in the cortex of the stem; the groups of secondary bast 
include generally a ere fibres. Myrica has a 
complete sclerenchymatous ring in the stem cortex; the groups of 
secondary bast include islands of oe yma. 
galensis C. DC.) ; é. japonica a Chev w specie s from Jennies 
and G. Hartwegi Cheval. (M. rhe "Wateon, from the Western 
United States and Mexico. 
Comptonia i is monotypic—C. asplenifolia Ai 
ity rica contains fifty-one species, which are e arranged i in three 
sectio 
1, Moke ila. Renn pie by branched inflorescence, female 
spikelets bearing several ovaries, of which one only develops. 
Fruits large (6-8 oe ), covered when ripe with numerous s 
fleshy imbricated emergences. Species six, from South-east 
and the Indo-Malayan Archipelago. ao 
2. Faya.—With inflorescence simple or branche \ eae 
