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M Y R I C A Gale.
Sweet Gale, or Dutch Myrtle.
D I OE C IA Tetrandria.
Gen. Char. Male. Catkin with concave {bales. Cor.
none. Female. Catkin with concave feales. Cor.
none. Styles 2. Berry with x feed.
Spec. C har. Leaves lanceolate, w7ith fhallow terra-
tures. Stem fhrubby.
Syn. Myrica Gale. Linn. Sp. PI. 1453. TLudf. 432.
With. 208. Relh. 368. FI. Dan. t. 327.
Gale fmtex odoratus Septentrionalium, Elæagnus
Cordo. Rail Syn. 443.
n p
X H I S delightfully fragrant fhrub grows copioufly in bogs
on a gravelly foil, as at Woodbaftwick, Norfolk, and at De r-
fingham in the north-eaft corner o f the fame county, where
our wild fpecimens were gathered by the Rev. M r. Sutton. W e.
have received others gathered on Windlefham moor near Bag-
fhot, b y the Rev. Mr. A b b o t ; and from M r. Templeton o f
Belfaft we have been favoured With monoecious ones, though
in general the male catkins grow on different plants from the
female ones. In March the catkins are fully formed; in May
the flowers are in perfection; in Auguft or September the
branches are laden with ripe fruit, whofe furface is fprinkled
with fhining relinous particles, eafily rubbing off, and diffufing
a {cent fomething like red cedar. A fte r the Fruit has been kept
dried 20 years it communicates to the fingers the fmell o f
candied citron peel. In the north o f Europe Linnaeus tells us
it is ufed for brewing inftead o f hops by poor people, and that
wax may be obtained from it by boiling, as from M . cerifera.
T h is fhrub grows to the height o f 3 or 4 feet, and is much
branched. Leaves deciduous, aromatic, alternate, lanceolate,
tapering at the bafe, {lightly ferrated in the upper part, nearly
fmooth, paler beneath. Catkins lateral, alternate. W e can
fcarcely call their feales, as Linnaeus does, lunate; they are
rather heartlhaped and pointed. Stamina 4, brown, as are
alfo the ftyles. M r. Sowerby obferved the firft feales o f the
female catkin to be hairy towards the tip, b y which they may
be diflinguifhed even in the bud.