CHAP. CIX.
MY RICa'cEAL MYRl'CA,
205.5
very rare, if not totally wanting. Noronha first described this tree in the Act. Soc. Batav .; but hehad not the least suspicion that it belonged to the genus Liquid&mbar Linn. The small grainswhich are found along with the seeds in some capsules, which are nothing more than abortiveovules, and which had been observed by Linnsus in L. Styracfflua, he described as small chattybodies, mixed with the membranous tops of the seeds. It is called by the natives of Java, Ras-sa-ma-la ; by the Arabs, Rasem-malla; by the inhabitants of New Guinea, Russimal; and by those ofCochin-China, Rosa-malla. The wood is at first reddish, and afterwards brownish ; very compact,hard, of a beautiful grain, and having a grateful balsamic odour. It is much esteemed by theJavanese for beams and planks. The flowers appear in May and June; and the fruit is ripe inSeptember, and the following months of the same year. (Blumc Ft. Jav.> t. 1,2.) Sprengel imaginedthat this tree was the same as our Araucaria excelsa j an error which was detected by the descriptionand figure of Blume, as given above.
CHAP. CIX.
OF THE HARDY AND HALF-HARDY LIGNEOUS PLANTS OF THEORDER JtfYRICA'CEA3.
Myri'ca L. Flowers unisexual; those of the two sexes upon differentplants. — Male flowers in cylindrical sessile catkins. Each flower consistsof 4, rarely more, stamens: these are inserted at the base of a bractea.Bracteas extending beyond the stamens, loosely imbricated. — Femaleflowers closely disposed into ovate sessile catkins, and attended byclosely imbricated bracteas. One bractea attends 2 flowers. Each flowerconsists of a calyx of 2—4 very minute scales; an ovary, to which thescales adhere; a short style; and 2 long thread-shaped stigmas. Ovary1-celled, and including one upright ovule. Carpel involucrated by theadherent, more or less fleshy, enlarged calyx, and so more or less resem-bling a berry. Seed erect, exalbuminous.— Species few; natives of thetorrid and frigid zones of both hemispheres. Shrubs. Leaves alternate,persistent, or annual; simple in most, if not all; generally more or lessserrated, besprinkled with resinous dots, as are the scales of the buds, andthe surface of the fruit; which yield, when rubbed, an aromatic odour.Catkins axillary, expanding early in the following year in the kinds withannual leaves. ( T. Nces ah Esenb. Gen. PL FI. Ger.; Smith Eng. El.;and observation.)
Compto'iN//) Gaertn. Flowers unisexual; those of both sexes upon oneplant, and in catkins.— Male catkins lateral, cylindrical, of several flowers.Bracteas imbricated. Flower of “ 3-twin ”( Watson) stamens, seated to-wards the base of a bractea; sessile. Anthers 2-lobed, opening at theside. — Female catkins lateral, ovate, of several flowers. Bracteas im-bricated. Flower of a calyx and pistil. Calyx free, flat, 6-parted; seg-ments slender, unequal in length; the longest as long again as the bractea.Ovary subglobose, depressed. Style short. Stigmas 2. Fruit 1-celled,ovate, hard, shining, attended by the calyx. Seed 1, oval.— Species 1, abushy dwarfish shrub, wild in sandy, stony, or slaty woods, in NorthAmerica, from New England to Virginia. Leaves alternate, lanceolate,pinnatifidly toothed, downy, sprinkled with golden, resinous, transparentparticles ; annual. A fragrant odour resides in the resinous particles uponthe leaves, and, it is likely, in other parts of the plant. ( Wats. Dend. Brit.;N. Du Ham. ; and observation.)
Genus I.
ri
JL
L&.
i
ilfYRI'CA L. The Candleberrv Myrtle. Lin. Si/st. Dioe'ciaTetrandria.
Identification. Lin. Gen., 518.; Juss., 409.; FI. Br., 1076.; Lam., t. 809. ; Gartn., t. 39.; Eng,FI., 4. p. 238.; N. Du Ham., 2. p. 189.