THE S1'ECI]ÍS OP .-IIRJUSTICA
Dimri., 1784, p. 83; Di
Dijdr., 575 ; Rozh. Pi. Ind.
t. de Myristica, 1788, jo. 3; WiUd. Sp. iv. 2, p. 869; Bhime
843. M. aromntica, Lam/c. Act. Paris, 1788, p. 155, t. o to 7
rs; 2, twig with
rillus; 5, arilUis
uui ; 9, ovary—
& III. Gen., t. 833; Ro.vh. Coram. Fl. iii. 267.
The Nutmeg of commerce is said to be indigenous onlj' in the Eastern Moluccas;
but, as It has been introduced nud is cultivated in most of the provinces dealt with in
this paper, I give a description and iigure of it.
Pr.WE 108. M)-rist[ea fragrans, Boutt. 1, Branch with male flow
female flowers; 3, ripe fruit; i, scction of the same showing seed and
(empty); 6, secd-^/ mUiral size; 7, male flower iii section; 8, audrcci
enlarged.
4. MYRISTICA LLALIBIRTCA, Lamk in Act. Paris, 1788, 163. A large tree; all part«,
except tlie inflorescence, glabrous; young bran<;hcs very thin, rather pale. Zeaves thinly
coriaceous, sometimes almost membranous, elliptic-lanceolate or narrowly oblong, sub-acute
end; upper surface shining, the lower dull, not paler than tiie upper"when dry;
.'es S to U pairs, thia and indistinct on both surfaces, the midrib stout; leno-th
, breadth l-3o to 2-25 io.; petiole about in., slender. Male flowers in slender,
or tri-chotomous, axillary or supra-axillary umbellulate cymes, often nearly half
s the leaves; buds -2 in. long, ovoid-globose; pedicels -25 to -i in. long, slender,
s; the bracteole semi-orbicular, minute, closely applied to tho base of the flower
at eithe
main ncr
4 to 6 in
open, dias
long ;
puberulo
at one side; perianfk minutely scurfy, puberulous outside, glabrous within; its teeth short,
triangular. Andro^citm apiculate; anthers 10 to U, linear; stalk about a fourth of the
length of the column, sub-globular, rufous-tomentose. Femuk flowers more globose and
larger than the males and in simple, few-flowered, rather stout, axillary umbefs not much
lono-er than the petioles, painted, -25 in. in diam.; the bracteole forming a narrow
imperfect cup round the base of the
rufous-tomentose; stigma large, sessi
rufous-tumentose, 2 to 2-5 in. long i
yellow, ii-regularly lobed and iacunoi
obtuse, slig-htly flattened on one side
Hook. fil. FL Br. Lid. v. 103
Bcddome Fl. Sf/ivaL, t. 269. Ji
aower; ovan/ sessile, ovoid-globose, pointed, densely
2-Iobed. Fruii elongate-oblong, pointed, densely
id 1'25 in. in dia.u.; arillus (ex A. DC.) reddishi,
extending to the apex of the seed; seed ovoid,
the testa shining. IIooL fil. Thorns. Fl. Ind. 163;
A. DC. in Prod. siv. 1, 194; Ddz. Giis. Fl. Boml. 4;
toraentosa, Grah. Cat. Bomb. PI. 175 {not of II. /. ^ T.)\
IL dacfyloides, Wall. Cat. 6786 {not of Gcertn.)-, M. notha, Wall. Cat. ' 6757.
Western coast of Peninsular India, from the Concan to Malabar, in the wet forests at
the base of the hills; common.
PL.ÌTE 109. Myristica Malabarica, LamL 1, Branch with male flowers; 2, twig with
female flowers; 3, ripe fruit-o/ naiural si^e; i, male tìov/er-disseded; 5, ovary from
female flower of fig. 2—enlarged.
5. MRRISTICA GIGANTE.Ì, n. sp. King. A troe 90 to 130 feet high; all parts except
the leaf-buds, apices of branches, inflorescence and fruit, glabrous; young branches thin, at
first rusty-puberulous, afterwards glabrous and dark-coloured. Leaves small, coriaceous,
glabrous, narrowly oblong-elliptic or linear-lanceolate, rather blunt (sometimes sub-acute)
at either end, when dry the edges revolute; upper .surface shining, pale when d r y lower
dull, pale, sub-glaucous at first; nerves 12 to 18 pairs, sub-horizontal, faint, evanescent
towards the margin; midrib bold beneath; length 3 to 4'25 in., breadth -9 to 1'4 in. •
petiole -5 to -75 in. Male panicles axillaiy or from the axils of faUen leaves, cymos'e,'
OF NBITISH I>'DTA. 289
rusty-pubescent, twice as long as the petioles; perianth '15 in. long, ovoid, with short
blunt or subacute teeth, rusty-tomentose outside, sub-glabrous inside; pedicel •]5 to
•2 in. long; bracteole narrowly semi-annular, embracing half the base of the perianth,
tomentose. Andrcedum half tho length of the perianth, cylindric, blunt; anthers linear,
about 10, sometimes deficient in the lower third of the column; stalk about one-third
of the length of the column, tomentose. Female flowers unknown. FniU (iunnature) 1 in.
long, solitary, on a thick woody pedicel '5 to 1 in. long, broadly ovoid, slightly pointed,
densely and minutely rufous-tomentose; arillus extending to the apex of the seed, thin,
narrowly fimbriate to nearly the base; seed ovoid, shining,
Perak: at elevations under 1,000 feet. Scorteahini No. 1949 ; King's Collector Nos. 5806
and 0050.
A very distinct species, distinguished by its small, uan'ow, glabrous, coriaceous leaves
and condensed, many-flowered, minutely rufous-tomentose panicles of male flowers. It
forms a larger tree than any of the species here described—hence its specific name. A
closely allied species, but with glabrous, sub-obovoid, sub-gibbous fruit, contracted towards
the base, occurs in New Guinea (Forbes, No. 710, in fruit only). Sir Joseph Hooker
informs me that there is in the Kew Herbarium a leaf-specimen closely resembling this
(Motley, No. 145), but it has neither flower nor fruit.
PLATE 110. Myristica gigantea, King. 1, Branch with male flowers; 2, branch with
young fruit; 3, section of young fruit ; 4, arillus; 5, young seed—of natural iise; 6, male
flower; 7, andrcecium—CT/ar^/cci.
6. MYRISTICA CEYLANICA, A. DC. in Ann. Sc. Nat. Ser. i, vol. 4, p. 29, Prod. xiv.
pi. 1, 190. A tree; all parts glabrous, except the leaf-buds, male and female inflorescence
and fruit; young branches rather slender, dark-coloured, shining. Leaves coriaceous,
narrowly elliptic-oblong to oblong-lanceolate, the apex sub-acute, the base cuneate.
etimes slightly unequal; upper surface very
colour; main nerves about 12 to 14 pairs,
the upper surface, bolder below; all sub-
• faintly inside the margin; length of blade
•75 to 1*5 in. 3Iale floiom in rusty, very
often much narrowed, uever rounded, son
shiuing, the lower dull, rather darker in
very faint and depressed (when dry) oi
ascending and slightly curving, interarchin;
5-5 to 8 in., breadth 2 to 3 in.; petiole
short, stoutly pedunculate, woody, 6- to 12-flowered, axillary cymes; peduncles 25
long, lengthening slightly with age. Floivers on pedicels -1 to -2 in. long, the bracteole
half-orbicular, covering part of the base of the perianth; perianth -25 in. long, inflatedtubular,
its teeth 4, broadly triangular, extending about a fourth of its length, rufoustomentose
outside and glabrous inside, as is the bracteole; andrcecium shorter than the
perianth, cylindric, apiculate, its stalk from a fourth to a third of the length of the
column; anthers 9 or 10, linear. Female flowers in axillary cymes, like'the males, but
fewer-flowered; the perianth with 3 spreading teeth. Fndt solitary or in pairs, axillary,
shortly pedunculate, ellipsoid, sub-compressed, slightly ridged along one side, and
sub-gibbous at the base; the apex narrowed, apiculate; length 2-5 in., diam. about
1-5 in.; pericarp covered with minute sub-deciduous, scurfy, rufous tomentum, thickly
coriaceous, but not fleshy; podunclo thick, woody, -5 in. long. Seed ellipsoid, depressedly
striate, enveloped to the apex by tho yellow, fleshy, Lciniate arillus. Thwaites Enum.
PI. Cey. 11 399. M. laurifolia, H. f . cV Th., VAR. Ceylanica, Soolt. fil Fl. Br.
Ind. v. 103.
.Itil!^