MY RI STIC A LAURIFOLIA. (Nat. order Myristicea.) 



MYRISTICA, Linn. — GEN. CHAR. Flowers disecious, regular, perianth, deciduous, 2-4-generally 3-lobed coriaceous, valvate in estivation. 

 Male, stamens united in a central column, anthers 3-18 or more adnate to a central column at the apex or in a ring immediately below the column each 

 with 2 parallel cells opening longitudinally. Female, ovary free within the perianth with a single erect anatropus ovule, stigma sessile or nearly so 

 capitate or depressed. Fruit succulent opening tardily in 2 valves, seed erect sessile more or less covered with alobed or jagged often scarlet arillus (or 

 arillodium) proceeding from the base of the seed, albumen remarkably ruminate, embryo very small at the base of the seed with divaricate cotyledons. 

 Trees often aromatic, leaves alternate entire usually dotted penniveined without stipules, flowers small in axillary or supra-axillary racemes or panicles, 

 more numerous in the males than in the females, bracts minute or none. — Knema, Lour. Pyrrhosa, Blume. Horsfieldia, Wiltd. Virola, Aubl. Sebophora, 

 Neck. 



MYRISTICA LAURIFOLIA. (H. F. et T.) A large handsome tree, young parts and under surface of young leaves 

 ferrugineo-tomentose, leaves very coriaceous oval-elliptic or oblong scarcely acute, rounded or cuneate at the base, perfectly glabrous and 

 shining above, glaucous but in age glabrous beneath, 5-10 inches long by 2|-4 broad, primary veins 12-18 on each side impressed on 

 the upper side, prominent and raised on the under side, running to the margin and there looped, intermediate parallel veins conspicuous 

 but not prominent and not extending nearly to the margin, transverse veinlets not prominent, petioles 8-15 lines long channelled above, 

 male flowers G-15 together in short rather dense axillary clusters, the common peduncle (floriferous tubercle) sometimes 2 cleft very 

 thick woody, 1-3 lines long, prominently marked with the cicatrices of the bracts, the pedicels rather slender 2-3 lines long ferrugineo- 

 tomentose, perianth cylindrical about 3 lines long densely ferrugineo-tomentose on the outside very shortly 3-cleft at the apex with a 

 broad ovate or nearly round ferrugineous bract adnate to its base, antheriferous column narrow to oblong ferrugineous included, not or 

 very slightly and bluntly apiculate above the anthers, anthers 7-12 linear adnate round the upper 3rd of the column the lower 3 

 being naked ; female flowers as in the male, only few generally 3-4 in the heads ; ovary ferrugineo-tomentose, stigma oblique, fruit 

 solitary or 2-3 together on very short thick axillary pedicels, from oblong to nearly globose more or less ferruginous according to a»e, 2i 

 inohes long by 1J-2J broad, seed conforming in shape to the fruit, the mace or aril nearly encircling the fruit, deeply cut down into 

 10-14 broad lobes, each of which is more or less lacerated at the apex into filiform segments. Fl. Ind- Hook. fil. et T.p. 163. M. 

 Ceylanica, diospyrifolia, and laurifolia, DC Prod. xiv. 190-191. 



This is the commonest mid nutmeg in this Presidency, and it is to be found in all our western forests from scarcely any elevation up to 

 5000 feet, and it is common in Ceylon ; the drawing and description are taken entirely from a sidle of specimens from our western forests, but 

 a careful analysis of specimens collected in Ceylon show no difference whatever. The nutmeg and the mace are of no value. It is a very handsome 

 tree but not to compare with what I figure as M. magnifica. lam not acquainted with the timber of this or any of the species of Myristica. 



Analysis. 



1 . Branch of male tree in flower, intermediate less developed parallel veins between the primary veins. 



2. A male flower and its bract. 



3. Perianth or calyx opened. 



4. The antheriferous column slightly swollen and hairy, anthers extending down only ^ from the apex, a slight blunt apiculation 



visible above the anthers. 



5. The same cut down one side and spread out, shewing 1 anthers present. 



6. An anther. 



7. Female inflorescence, flowers fewer than in the male. 



8. A female flower (less magnified than number 2). 



9. The same open, stigma oblique. 



10. Vertical section of the ovary, 1-celled with an erect anatropous ovule. 



11. Ripe fruit (it is sometimes oblong.) 



12. One valve of the fruit after it has burst. 



13. Seed and its aril (All drawn from living specimens). 



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