CHAP. C1X. 



2tfYRlCA N CE#:. COMVTO'NIA. 



2059 



a native of Madeira and the Azores. Introduced in 1777, by Mr. 

 Masson, and flowering in June and July. There are plants at 

 Messrs. Loddiges's. 



M. serraia Lam. Encyc., 2. p. 593., N. Du Ham., 2. p. 192. ; 

 M. asthiopica Lin. Syst., 884., Reich. 4. p. 424. ; M. conifera 

 Burnt. Prod., 27., Plulc. Phyt., t. 48. f. 8. Leaves linear-lanceo- 

 late, pointed, deeply and somewhat doubly serrated. {Lam. 

 Encyc.) An upright-growing evergreen shrub, about 2 ft. high, 

 with very glabrous leaves, of a beautiful green ; the old ones 

 somewhat drooping. The name alludes to the serratures of the 

 leaves, which are very deep and open. The berries resemble 

 those of M. cerifera ; but they are black when quite ripe, and 

 preserve a point at the summit. A native of the Cape of Good 

 Hope. Introduced by Mr. F. Masson, in 1793. 



M. qucrcifblia Lin. Sp. PI., 1453., Reich., 4. p. 424., Burm. Fl. 

 Ind., t. 98. f. 1., Hort. Cliff"., 456., Pluk. Aim., t. 424., N. Du 

 Ham., 2. p. 193., Lam. Encyc, 2. p. 593., Lodd. Cat, ed. 1836; 

 Laurus africana, &c, Com. Hort, 2. t. 81., Rati Supp. Dend., 

 85. ; has the leaves ovate-wedge-shaped, sinuate, serrated, blunt- 

 ish ; the divisions often angular. {Lam. Encyc.) A shrub, 2 ft. or 3 ft high, with numerous reddish 

 and slightly tomentose branches. The leaves are quite smooth, and dotted. A native of the Cape; 

 flowering in June and July. Introduced before 1752, as it was cultivated in that year by Miller. 



M. q. hirshta Mill. Diet., Ait. Hort. Kew., edit. 2., v. p. 380., only differs from the preceding in 

 having the leaves hairy. 



M. cordifdlia Lin. Sp., 1454., Reich., 4. p. 245., Hort Cliff, 456., Pluk. Phyt, t. 319. f. 7., N. Du 

 Ham., 2. p. 193., Roy Lugdb., 527; Alaternoides /'licis f61io, Sec, Walt. Hort., 3. t 3. ; M. foliis sub 

 cordatis, &c, Burm. Afr., t 98. f. 3. ; Gale capensis, &c, Petiv. Mus., 774. ; Coriotragematod^ndros 

 /'licis aculeate fblio Pluk. Aim., 65., Pluk. Phyt., t 319. f. 7. ; M. capensis Lodd. Cat.,' 1836; has 

 the leaves somewhat cordate, serrate, sessile. {Lin.) An upright-growing evergreen shrub, with 

 wand-like branches; downy and reddish when young, and much leafed; according to the Nouveaw 

 Du Hamel, the most ornamental species of the genus. The leaves are numerous, small, heart- 

 shaped, and dentated. It flowers in May and June. The berries are rather 

 larger than those of M. cerifera. A native of the Cape, cultivated 1759, by Miller. 

 Thunberg, in his Travels, says : " The branches of the wax shrub (Myrlca cordi- 

 fblia), the berries of which are covered with a fatsubstance, resembling bees' wax, 

 were put whole into a pot of boiling water, in order to melt and skim off the wax. 

 It resembles grey impure wax, is harder than tallow, and somewhat softer than 

 wax. The farmers use it for candles ; and the Hottentots eat it like a piece of 

 bread, with or without meat" {Thunberg's Travels, i. p. 167.) We have little 

 doubt that this species would thrive against a conservative wall. 



App. ii. Half-hardy Species qfM.yrlca not 

 yet introduced. 



M. spathulata Mirb. Mem. Mus., 14. p. 474. t 28. f. 1. ; and our fig. 1970. 

 Leaves spathulate, blunt, quite entire, glabrous. Male catkins sessile, axillary, 

 solitary, shorter than the petioles. A tree, with smooth, cylindrical branches. 

 Leaves 1 in. to 2| in. long, and a in. to 1 in. broad. Found in Madagascar by 

 M. Perodet 



Genus II. 



197(5 



COMPTO'N/J Banks. The Comptonia. Lin. Syst. MonceVia Triandria. 



Identification. Gffirtn. Fruct., 1. p. 58. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 45. 



Synonymes, Liquidambar Lin. Sp. ; Myrlca Lin. Hort. Cliff!, 456., Gron. Virg., 2. p. 155. ; Gale 



Petiv. Mus., 773. ; Comptone, Fr. ; Comptonie, Ger. 

 Derivation. Named in honour of Henry Compton, Bishop of London, the introducer and cultivator 



of many curious exotic plants, and one of the greatest patrons of botany and gardening of his time. 



Description, Sf-c. A low evergreen shrub, a native of North America, in 

 moist peaty soils, nearly allied to ilfyrica. Only one species has hitherto 

 been described. 



fife ]. C. /4splenifo v lia Banks. The Asplenium-leaved Comptonia. 



Identification. Ait. Hort. Kew., 3. p. 334. ; Ga3rtn. Fruct, 1. p. 58. ; L'H£rit. Stirp., nov ed 2. 



t 58. ; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 46. ; Dend. Brit, t 166. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 635. ; Lodd. 



Cat, ed. 1836. 

 Synonymes. Liquidambar asplenifblium Lin. Sp., 1418., Du Ham. Arb., 1. p. 366. ; L. peregrinum 



Lin. Syst., 860., Reich., 4. p. 171. ; MyrlcaLm. Hort. Cliff., 456., Gron. Virg., 155., Cold. Noveb., 



224., Mill. Diet., No. 4. ; Gale mariana Pet. Mus., 773. ; Myrtus brabanticas afflnis Pluk. Phyt., 



t. 100. f. 6, 7. ; The sweet Fern Bush, Amer. 

 Engravings. Pluk. Phyt, t 100, f. 6, 7. ; N. Du Ham., 

 1971. 



t. 11. ; Dend. Brit, t. 166. ; and our fig. 



Spec. Char., fyc. Leaves long, linear, alternate, crenately pinnatifid, 

 ( Willd. Sp. PL, iv. p. 320.) A deciduous shrub, 3 ft. or 4 ft. high. The young 



