[ ü l
found very plentifullv in the provinces of BiinUmi and Bnitenzonj in Batavia,
at an eWation of from 2000 ft. to ,3000 f t.; but m the East of Java it is
very rare if not totally wanting. Noronha first described this tiee in t ie
AH Soc Batav. ; but he had not the least suspicion that it belonged to the
genus Liquidámbar Linn. Sprengel imagined that this tree was the same as
our Arauriiria excélsa; an error which was detected by the description and
figure of Blume, as given above.
O r d e r L X X IV . MYRICA'CEÆ.
Ord Char. Flowers disposed in unisexual catkins, each scale having a
flower in its arid. — Male flowers having the perianth composed of 2 scale-
formed pieces, four free stamens.- - /orac™ with the perianth en-
laroin" after florescence, each composed of 3—6 small scales. Ovanum
sintple, free. Sligmas 2, filiform. Drupe globose, dryish when ripe, con-
taimno- a bony valveless nut. Albumen none or fleshy. (G. Don.)
Leaves. a\nm\o, alternate, exstipulate, deciduous or evergreen ; entire or
nmnatifidly toothed. — Shrubs ; natives of Europe, Asm, and North anil
ten th America. The genera in British gardens are two. which are thus
contradistinguished : —
JfvBi'OA. Flowers dioecious. Fruit resembling a berry.
Co3ipto'n/z4 . Flowers monoecious. Fruit hard, shining.
G e n u s I.
L i f e J L im -
il/YRTCA L . The C a n d l e d e b r y M y r t l e . Lin Syst. Dice'cia
Tetrândria.
Jdentificatmn. Lin. Gen., 518. ; Eng. F l 4. p. m ; N D a Ham., 2. p. 189.
DrtdvaimnI From ¿ ¿ rS .lio ’flow f the piants being found on the banka of rivers.
Gen Char., f r . Male flowers in cylindrical sessile catkins. Each flowe
consists ’’of 4.’, rarely more, stamens ; these are inserted at the base ot a
bractea. rtracfe««'extending beyond the stamens, loosely imbricated.—
Female flowers in ovate sessile catkins, with closely imbricate bracteas;
one bractea attends 2 flowers. Each flower consists of a calyx ol ¿ - i
very minute scales ; an ovary, to which the scales adhere ; a short style;
and two long thread-shaped stigmas. Carpel involucrated by the adherent,
more or less fleshy, enlarged calyx, and so more or less resembling a berry.
( G. Don.) ' ,
Leaves simple, alternate, stipulate, deciduous or evergreen ; inore or less
serrated ; besprinkled with resinous dots, as are the scales ofthe buds and
the surface of the fruit, which yield, when rubbed, an aromatic odour.
Flowers in axillary catkins, greenish white, expanding early m the year.--
Shrubs, natives of Europe and North America. They are of low growth,
and generally require a moist peaty soil, in which they are propagated by
lavers suckers, or by division of the plant. The American species is
sometimes propagated by seeds, which should be sown in autumn, as soon
after they are received from America as possible ; for, if kept out of the
ground till spring, they will not come up till the spring following.
A« 1. M . Ga'le L. The Sweet Gale Candleberry Myrtle, Sweet Willow, or
Dutch Myrtle.
Identification. I.in. Sp. Pl., 1453. ; Eng. Flor., 4. p. 239. ; Fl. Hibern., p. 2.57.
Si/nonymes. Gale Raii Syn. 443.; Flæâgnus Card. Hist. 212,; Mÿrtus brabántica Gcr. Emac.
p. 1414. ; /íbús 7«yrtifòlia bèlgica Bauh. Pin. 414. ; R. sylvéstris altera Dalech. Hist. 110. ; R.
sylvéstris Bark. Theat. p. 1451. ; Jl/yrlca palùstris L am. ; Galé, Pimento royal, Fr. ; gemeine
Wachsstraucb, Ger.
Ensravings. Eng. Bot., t. 562. ; F l. Dan., t. 327. ; Hayne, t. 200. ; Lob. Jc., 2. p. 116. f. ; N. Du
lîam., 2. t. 57. ; and o u r ^ . 1742.
The Sexes. Both are in the arboretum of Messrs. Loddiges.
Spec. Char., Leaves lanceolate, serrated ; tapering and entire at the base.
Scales of the catkins pointed. (Smith.) A deciduous aromatic shrub.
Europe, from Norway to Lombardy, the North of Asia, and in great part
of North America, and always in boggy soil. Height 2 ft. to 4 ft. Flowers
brownish green ; February and March.
The catkins are numerous and sessile ; they are formed in the course
1742. M. Gàie.
of the summer’s growth, and remain on during the
winter, expanding the following spring, before the
leaves. The flower buds are above the leaf buds,
at the end of the branches ; whence, as soon as the
fructification is completed, the end of the branch
dies, the leaf buds which are on the sides shoot out,
and the stems become compound. The scales of
the male catkins are of a red shining brown; and the
' lower ones of the female catkins have a circlet of red
hairs towards the tip. The berries are
very small, and covered with resinous
dots, like the leaves. The plant is common
in bogs. The gale is the badge of
the Highland clan Campbell. A variety s
with larger leaves, &c., is mentioned by *
Mirbel, and a figure of it given in the
Mem. M m ., 14. p. 474. t. 28., of which
o u r /g . 1743. is a reduced copy. 1743. m.gü/c.
* 2. M . CERIFERA L . The common Wax-bcaring, or American, Candleberry
Myrtle.
Identification. Lin. Sp., 1453. ; Willd. Sp. PI., 4. p. 745. ; Pursh Fl. Amer. Sept., 2. p. 260.
Synonymes. M. cerífera angustifòlia J i t . Hort. Kew. 3. p. 396. ; M fr tn s brabántica, &c., Fluk.
Aim. 260. t. 48. ; Cérier de la Louisiane, Fr. ; Albero della cera, Hal.
Engravings. Pluk. Aim., t. 48. f. 9. ; Cat. Car., 1. t. 69.
The Sexes. Only the male is in the Hackney Arboretum ; but, as seeds are annually imported from
America, the female is doubtless in the country in many places.
Spec. Char., cÿfi. Leaves lanceolate, pointed, serrated, flat, somewhat shining.
(Lam.) A large evergreen shrub. Canada to Carolina, in moist soil.
Height 5 ft. to ì2ft. Introduced in 1699. Flowers reddish green; May
or June. Fruit white ; ripe in October.
Variety
« M. c. 2 latifòlia Ait. M . c. mèdia Michx. ;
M . carolinensis Willd., Pursh FL Amer.
Sept. ii. p. 620. ; M . pennsylvânica Lam..
N. Du Ham. ii. p. 190. t. 55., and our
Jig. 1744. ; M . c. sempervìrens Hort. ;
iWyrtus brabántica Cat. Car. i. t. 13 ;
Cérier de Pennsylvanie, Fr. ; Carolinischer
Wachsstrauch, Ger. ; the hroad-
leaved American Camileberry Myrtle. —
This variety has the leaves broader than
those of the species, and an arborescent
stem. According to the Nouveau Du
Hamel, it is hardier than M. cerífera.
Cultivated in England before 1730.
Its general afipearance and habits closely resemble those of the European
specie.s ; the leaves are, however, larger, and more serrated ; they are evergreen,
and in M, c. latifòlia greatly resemble those of thc sweet hay. Thc
3 o 4
17 7I/. c . latifòlia.