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Notes  on  the  Genus  Myrica. 
Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
May,  1894. 
NOTES  ON  THE  GENUS  MYRICA. 
By  George  M.  Beringer,  A.M.,  Ph.G. 
The  order  Myricacece  or  family  of  Gale  worts,  as  now  constituted, 
contains  but  a  small  group  of  plants,  generally  classified  with  the 
Amentacece.  In  its  botanical  relationship  it  is  anomalous,  being 
closely  allied  to  several  orders.  Lindley  characterized  the  "  fra- 
grant gales  as  just  half  way  between  the  urtical  and  amental  alli- 
ances." While  its  relations  extend  toward  several  orders,  the 
aromatic  character,  the  floral  arrangement  and  fruit  characters  o 
these  plants  indicate  its  close  approach  to  the  Jitglandece.  From 
this  order  they  ar#  however,  distinguished  by  the  superior  free 
ovary  and  small  slightly  lobed  seed,  and  different  habit. 
In  accordance  with  the  classification  of  Bentham  and  Hooker 
(Genera  Plantarum),  Myricacece  as  now  constituted  consists  of  but 
one  genus,  Myrica>  whose  characters  become  ordinal.  The  genera 
Gale  of  Tournefort  and  Comptonia  of  Banks  being  condensed  into 
Myrica.  The  genus  Clarisia  of  Ruiz  and  Pavon  being  referred  to 
UrticacecE  and  Leitneria,  proposed  originally  by  Chapman  to  des- 
cribe our  Florida  species,  Leitnerice  Floridana,  Chapm.  is  raised  to 
ordinal  rank  as  Leitneriece. 
The  genus  contains  about  35  known  plants  of  an  aromatic, 
shrubby  character,  distributed  for  the  most  part  in  the  temperate 
regions.  At  least  six  species  are  indigenous  to  North  America- 
But  one  species,  M.  Gale,  L.,  is  found  in  the  bogs  of  Northern 
Europe.  This  is  likewise  generally  distributed  through  the  middle 
and  northern  United  States,  and  extends  as  far  north  as  Alaska. 
Several  species  are  reported  from  the  West  Indies  and  one  from  the 
Andean  region  of  South  America.  Others  are  found  in  Southern 
Africa,  India  and  China.  All  medical  writers  and  botanical  author- 
ities, even  as  early  as  Linnaeus,  describe  the  plants  of  this  genus  as 
useful  in  the  arts  and  possessing  valuable  medicinal  properties.  As 
yet,  they  have  obtained  but  little  recognition  in  the  practice  of  the 
medical  profession. 
Myrica  Gale  L.  is  the  most  widely  distributed  species.  Some  of 
its  numerous  synonyms  are  Sweet  Gale,  Meadow  Fern,  Bog 
Myrtle,  Dutch  Myrtle,  Willow  Myrtle,  Bay  Bush.  The  fruit  of 
this  species  being  resinous  dotted,  yields  but  a  limited  amount  of 
waxy  tallow.    The  leaves  are  known  as  Folia  Myrti  Brabanticce, 
