THE NUTMEG FAMILY. 



245 



this family, all natives of tropical Asia, the most im- 

 portant being Aquilaria Agallocha, a tall tree, having alter- 

 nate lance-shaped leaves, native of India, Java, and other 

 islands, where it is called Aquila or Eagle-wood. The wood 

 is fragrant, and contains a resinous oil, which is burnt as a 

 perfume in temples. It is supposed to be the aloes, wood 

 aloes, and lign aloes mentioned in several parts of the 

 Bible in conjunction with myrrh, cinnamon, and other sweet- 

 smelling plants ; if so, this tree not being a native of Syria, 

 the wood must have been received through commerce with 

 the East ; but the passage " As gardens by the river's side, 

 as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord had planted,"* 

 leads to the supposition that it was a tree native of some part 

 of "Western Asia, thus leaving doubts as to the true aloes of 

 the Bible. 



The Nutmeg Family. 



(Myristicace^e.) 



Trees with alternate simple leaves. Flowers small in 

 axillary or terminal racemes, or panicles, generally uni- 

 sexual. Fruit fleshy, 2-valved, containing a single nut seed 

 covered with an arillus. 



Between 30 and 40 species are enumerated in this family. 

 They are chiefly natives of the tropics of India and the 

 Malayan Archipelago ; several species are also found in 

 tropical America. 



Nutmeg (Myristica moschata). A small branching tree 

 attaining the height of 20 or 30 feet ; it is extensively culti- 

 vated in the Molucca and other islands of the Malayan Archi- 

 pelago as well as in some parts of India. The fruit is about 

 the size of a walnut, consisting of a rather thick fleshy skin, 

 containing a single nut, which, on the fruit opening, is seen 

 to be enveloped in a red net-like covering which is the 



* Numbers, chap. xxiv. ver, 6. 



