106 BOTANY. 
style very short; stigma somewhat lobed. Fruit succulent, one-celled, two- 
valved. Seed solitary, usually covered by a laciniated arillus; embryo 
small, orthotropal, at the base of ruminate albumen ; cotyledons foliaceous : 
radicle inferior. Trees with alternate, exstipulate, entire, not dotted 
leaves. Natives of the tropical regions of Asia and America. There 
are five known genera, and between thirty and forty species. Example: 
Myristica. 
The most important genus of this order is Myristica, from which the nutmeg 
is obtained. The principal species, M. moschata, is a native of the Moluccas, 
but cultivated in many tropical countries. The fruit is a drupe, opening by 
two valves when ripe, and exhibiting a reticulated arillus, known as mace. 
Within this is a hard shell, enveloping the kernel or nutmeg. One tree will 
sometimes yield six pounds of nutmeg. Nutmeg butter or fat is a concrete oil 
obtained by expressing the fruit. 
Myristica moschata, nuimeg ( pl. 60, 61, fg. 3): a, a branch with fruit; 8, 
ditto, with flowers; m, the seed; k, vertical section; A, ditto, with the embryo; 
2, Cross-section. 
OrveR 72. Lauraces, the Laurel or Bay Family. Perianth, with four 
or six divisions, which are usually in two rows, the imb sometimes obsolete ; 
xestivation imbricate. Stamens perigynous, definite, often twice as many as 
the divisions of the perianth, and arranged usually in two rows, those of the 
inner row (often three) being frequently sterile (staminodia), while those of 
the outer (often six in number) are fertile; if the inner stamens are fertile 
they are extrorse, while the outer are introrse; filaments of the inner row, often 
with glands at their base; anthers, two- to four-celled, cells opening by 
longitudinal valves. Ovary superior, unilocular; ovule solitary, pendulous ; 
style simple; stigma obtuse. Fruit baccate or drupaceous, naked or covered 
by the enlarged perianth, peduncle of the fruit sometimes becoming fleshy. 
Seed solitary, pendulous; albumen 0; embryo inverted: cotyledons large, 
plano-convex, peltate near the base; radicle very short, superior; plumule 
conspicuous. ‘Trees with exstipulate, alternate, rarely opposite leaves ; some- 
times twining, parasitic, and leafless herbs or under-shrubs. They are natives 
chiefly of the tropical regions of Asia and America. Few are found in Africa. 
The order has been divided into two sub-orders: 1. Laurez, true Laurels, trees 
with leaves. 2. Cassythez, Dodder-laurels, climbing parasitic plants, without 
leaves. 
The more elaborate arrangement of this family by Nees d’Esenbeck, 
gives the following sub-orders: 1. Cinnamomee. Example: Cinnamomum. 
2. Camphoree. Example: Camphora. 38. Phebee@. Example: Phebe. 
4. Persee. Example: Persea. 5. Cryptocaryee. Examples: Crypto- 
carya, Adenostemon. 6. Acrodiclidiea. Hxample : Aydendron. 7. 
Nectandrea. Example: Nectandra. 8. Dicypelliee. Example: Peta- 
lanthera. 9. Oreodaphnee. Example: Oreodaphne. 10. Flaviflores. 
Examples: Sassafras, Benzoin. 11. Tetrantheree. Examples: Laurus, 
Tetranthera. 12. Daphnidiee. Example: Daphnidium. 13. Cassythea. 
Example: Cassytha. 7 
Plants of this family yield many products of importance. Camphor is a 
106 
