M Y R M Y R 
M Y R I C A. Lin. Gen. Plant. 981. Gale. Tourn, Act. 
Reg. Scien. 1706. The Candleberry Myrtle, Gale, or 
Sweet Willow ; by fome Myrtus Brabantica, or 
Dutch Myrtle ; in French, Piment Rcyal. 
The Characters are, 
Phe male flowers are upon different plants from the fe- 
male 4 the male flowers are produced in a loofie, oblongs 
oval hat kin , imbricated on every fide ; under each fcale is 
filiated one moon-fhaped flower, having no petal , but hath 
four or fix jhort Jlender ftamina, terminated by large twin 
fummits , whofe lobes are bifid . The female flowers have 
neither petal or ftamina , blit an oval germen fupporting 
two Jlender flyles , crowned by Jingle fligmas. P he germen 
afterward becomes a berry with one cell, inclofmg a Jingle , 
feed. 
This genus of plants is ranged in the fourth feblion 
of Linnaeus’s twenty-fecond clafs, which includes 
the plants whofe male dowers' have four ftamina, and 
are upon different plants from the fruit. 
The Species are, 
1. Myrica {Gale) foliis lanceolatis fubferratis, caule j 
fruticofo. Lin. Sp. Plant. 1024. Myrica with fpear- j 
Jh aped f awed leaves and a fhrubby ftalk. Gale frutex 
odoratus feptentrionalium. J. B. 1. p. 2. 225. Nor- 
thern, fhrubby , fweet Gale , fweet Willow , Butch Myrtle , 
o r Ga le , 
2. Myrica ( Cerifera ) foliis lanceolatis fubferratis, caule 
arborefeente. Kalm. Myrica with fpear-Jhaped leaves , j 
and a Jhrubby ftalk . Myrtus Brabantica fimilis Caro- j 
iinienfis baccifera, frudtu racemofo feffili monopyre- I 
no. Pluk Phyt. tab. 48. fol. 9. Carolina Myrtle like J 
'that of the Butch , with berries growing in bunches , and 
fitting clofe to the flalks , commonly called Candleberry 
Myrtle. 
3. Myrica ( Carolinienfis ) foliis. lanceolatis ferratis, cau- j 
lefoffruticofa. Myrica with fpear -floated Jawed leaves , J 
and a. fhrubby ftalk. Myrtus Brabanticae fimilis Caro- 
linienfis humilior, foliis latioribus & magis ferratis. I 
Yatefb. Car. vol. i. p. 13. Lower Carolina Myrtle , or J 
Candleberry -tree refembling that oj Brabant , having 
broader leaves which tire more flawed. 
4. Myrica ( Ajplenifolia ) foliis oblongis alternarim fi- 
nuatis. Hort. Cliff. 4 5 6. Myrica with oblong oval J 
leaves, which are alternately Jmuated. Gale Mariana 
Afplenii folio. Pet. Muf. 773. Maryland Gale with a 
Spleenwort leaf. I 
5. Myrica (fluerlfolia) foliis oblongis oppofite finuatis 
glabris. Myrica with oblong Jmooth leaves , which are I 
oppojitely firnuated. Laurus Africana minor, folio quer- I 
cits. Hort. Amft. 2. p. 161. Smaller African Bay with 
an Oak leaf. j 
6. Myrica ( Hirfuta ) foliis oblongis oppofite finuatis j 
hirfutis. Myrica with oblong hairy leaves, which are op- 
pojitely fmuated. 
7. Myrica ( Cardifolia ) foliis fubcordatis ferratis feffili- 
bus. Hort. Cliff 456. Myrica with Jawed leaves which J 
are almoft hear tjh aped, arid fit clofe to the ftalk. Gale 
Capenfis, iiicis cocciferm folio. Pet. Muf. 774. Gale\ 
from the Cape , with a leaf like the Kermes Oak. 
Tho fir It fort grows naturally upon bogs in many 
V parts of England, particularly in the northern and 
weftern counties, as alfo in Wmdfor-park, and near 
Tunbridge-wells. This riles with many fhrubby 
Italics near four feet high, which divide into feveral j 
ilender branches, garnilhed with ftiff fpear-lhaped 
leaves, about an inch and a half long, and half an 
inch broad in the middle; they are of a light or yel- j 
lowifh green, fmooth, and a little fawed at their j 
points, and emit a fragrant odour when bruifed •, they I 
ate piaccd alternately on their branches. The male j 
flowers or katkins are produced Irons the fide of the J 
branches, growing upon leparate plants from the fe- 
male, which arefucceeded by duffers offmall berries, 
each haying a fingle feed. It flowers in July, and 
the feeds, ripen in autumn. 
f he leaves of this fhrub has been by feme per ons 
gathered and ufed for Tea, but it is generally fup- 
pofed to be hurtful to the brain ; but from this ufe 
of it, a learned phyfician a few years fince, wrote a 
treatife to prove this to be the true Tea, in which 
he has only (hewn his want of knowledge in thefe 
things. 
It grows naturally in bogs, fo cannot be made to 
thrive on dry land, for which reafon it is feldom pre- 
ferved in gardens. 
The fecond fort grows naturally in North America, 
where the inhabitants get a fort of green wax froni 
the berries, which they make into candles. The me- 
thod of collecting and preparing this, is deferibed by 
Mr. Catefhy, in his Hiftory of Carolina. 
This grows naturally in bogs and fwampy lands, where 
it riles with many ftrong fhrubby ftalks eight or ten 
feet high, fending out feveral branches, garnilhed 
with ftiff ipear-lha,ped leaves near three inches long, 
and one broad in the middle ; they are fmooth and 
entire, having fcarce any foot-ftalks, of a yellowiffi 
lucid green on their upper fide, but paler on their un- 
der, (landing alternately, and pretty clofe to the 
branches ; thefe have a very grateful odour when 
bruifed. The katkins come out upon different plants 
from the berries j thefe are about an inch long, ftand- 
ing ereCt. The female flowers come out on the fide 
of the branches in longifh bunches, which are flicceed- 
ed by fmall roundifh berries, covered with a fort of 
meal. This fhrub delights in a moift foft foil, in 
which it thrives extremely well, and lives in the open 
air without any protection. 
The third fort grows naturally in Carolina •, this doth 
not rife fo high as the former, the branches are not 
lb ftrong, and they have a grayifh bark ; the ieaves 
are fiiorter, broader, and are fawed on their edges, 
but in other refpe&s is like the fecond fort; the ber- 
ries of this are alfo collected for the fame purpofe.> 
Thefe forts are propagated by feeds, which ftiould 
be fown in the autumn, and then the plants will 
come up the following fpring ; but if the feeds are . 
kept out of the ground till the fpring, they feldom 
grow till the year after. Thefe plants will require 
water ip dry weather, and fhould be fereened from 
frofts while young, but when they have obtained 
ftrength, they will refill the cold of this country very 
well. 
The fourth fort grows naturally in Philadelphia, 
from whence many of the plants have been brought 
to England, and thofe which have been planted 
on a moift foil have thriven very well ; fome of thefe 
creep at their roots, and fend up fuckers plentifully, 
in the fame manner as in their native foil. 
This riles with Ilender fhrubby ftalks near three feet 
high, which are hairy, and divide into feveral (lender 
branches, which are garnilhed with leaves from three 
to four inches long, and half an inch broad ; they are 
alternately indented almoft to the midrib, and have a 
great refemblance to thofe of Spleenwort ; they are of 
a dark green, hairy on their under fide, and fit clofe 
to the ftalks. The male flowers or katkins come out 
on the fide of the branches between the leaves ; 
thefe are oval, and Hand ereCt. I have not feen any 
of thefe plants in fruit, fo I can give no defeription 
of it. 
This fort may be propagated by fuckers, which are 
fent out from the roots when it is planted in a loofe 
moift foil, and will endure the cold full as well as the 
two former forts. 
The fifth and fixth forts grow naturally at the Cape 
of Good Hope ; thefe only differ from each other, in 
one having very fmooth fhining leaves, and thofe of 
the other hairy. I do not know if they are really dif- 
ferent fpecies, but as I received them from Holland 
as fuch, and the plants ftill retaining their difference, 
fo I have enumerated them both. 
Thele rife with fhrubby (lender ftalks about four 
feet high, which divide into fmaller branches, which, 
in one fort are fmooth, and in the other they are 
hairy ; thefe are clofely garnilhed with leaves about an. 
inch and a half long, and almoft an inch broad; fome 
having two, others three, deep indentures on their 
fides, which are oppofite ; in one fort they are fmooth 
and fhining, and in the other they are hairy, and of a 
darker green; they fit clofe to the branches, and 
end 
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