78 



middle or the base>: connectivum perspicuous, often ending 

 in a very short tooth proper to each anther or common to all : 

 ovary superior : stigma subsessile, scarcely 2-lohed or depresso- 

 capitate : ovule 1 from the base of the ovary : fruit fleshy, 

 slowly dehiscing by 2, rarely 4, valves : seed sessile, often 

 wrapped round by a sweet-smelling false aril, which is often 

 lobed, and as if torn from the middle, red or orange, fleshy 

 or thin: albumen ruminate: embryo small: cotyledons di- 

 verging, ovate, flat, or undulate : radicle short, inferior, 

 conical. — Trees, often aromatic and abounding in acrid juice : 

 leaves alternate, distichous, quite entire, often pellucid- 

 dotted, feather-nerved : stipules none : racemes or panicles 

 axillary, sometimes supra-axillary: flowers usually pedi- 

 celled, small, externally stellately tomentose : albumen often 

 sebaceous or oily. 



GENCrS I. MTRISTICA. 



Dicecia JHonadelpIiia. Sex .- 



Deriv. rrom Myrrha, myrrh, alluding to the fragrant odour of 

 the fruit. 



Gen. Chae. Same as that of the order. 



(1) M. Malabaeica. {Lam.) 



Ident. Dec. prod. XIV. p. 194. — Hook, and Thorns, flor. Ind. 

 I. p. 163. 



Mngrav. Eheede Mai. VI. t. v. 



Spec. Chae. Leaves narrow-oblong or elhptic-lanceolate, 

 acute at both ends or obtuse, quite glabrous, glaucous beneath : 

 male inflorescence axillary, dichotomously cymose, many-flowered, 

 longer than the petiole, female few-flowered, alabastrum globose, 

 pubescent externally, bract very broad, embracing the base : fruit 

 oblong, tawny-hoarj : aril lacunose, lobes twisted and folded into 

 a cone at the top. 



Forests of Malabar. Concans. The aril is not very fragrant, 

 the nut scarcely aromatic. 



(2) M. rAEQUHAEIANA. (Wall.) 



Ident. Dec. 1. c. p. 200.— Hook, and Thorns. 1. c. p. 161 

 (partly). 



