THE SPECIES OF MïliISTICA
moist ioi-Gsfs, and often near tlio banks of rivers.
Cej lon : at low elsTations
Thwaitm a P. No. 2923.
T h i s fas been reduced by Sh- Joseijli Hoolter IF 1} T ^ mn t - , .
M. iaarifeHa , Bn t ' a o a r eM' ^ l i ^ ^ n ' Ip T e i L "
fandly collected for n,e by „y friend Dr. H. Trimen, Di r e c t o r of the
t o t a m e a l Garden at Pcrademya, mates mo belie™ that it is really a distinet spec es
I t s eaves are perieetly glabrous, and its fruit has a leathery periearp; whereas in
J / , a«»/.;» the loaves aro n.hmtely lopidote-puboseent underne.ù, oxc.p't „hen l e
a d , d t and the per.carp is very succulent. Dr. Trimon inforn.s me that this is rath
a local species occuxrmg "both in the low country and in what I eall the intormodiate
region ... .ntermedmte between our moist and dry districts; whereas II. MurifiUa,
H. f. & I II., which It most closely resembles, is a moist country tree "
111 Myristiea Oeylanica, A. BC. 1, T»-ig with female Sowers, 2, cluster of
male dowers; 3 fruit dehiscmg and showing the seed covered by its a r i l lLs I . / „ J
87se; male flower; 5, audroecium—íB^a/yt^
r HvBISIlCi L « ™ , Boot. f l . ^ ra. n. IM. les. a troe; all parts glabrous,
except very young leaf-buds and the inflorescence at all stages; young biauches dart
coloured, i». » ooriaoeous. elhptio to oblong-elliptic, obtase or sub-aeiito, tlie baso
t r n n c a t e, „„nded or slightly cuneate; upper surface shining, lower dull, darker (when
d r y ) , mam neryos, 12 to 14 pairs, depressed on the upper, rather promiuont on the
lower, surfaco, mterarehmg freely, the secondary nerves almost as prominent but mud.
s h o r t e r ; length -6 to -9 in., breadth 2-5 to 4 in., peticlo -To to I in. J f c i . ¡ „
Shortly pedunculate a„lkry cymes, shorter than the petioles when young, but often as
l o n g when old; pedicels shorter than the perianth, tliick; bracteolo orbicular-ovoid
e m b r a c i n g tho lower part of the perianth at one side only; p , r iaa neariy -2 in lonir'
evoia-tubular, sub-inflated, out for a fourth of its length or less into 3 acute teeth, infoas'.
pnbosoeut outside like the bracteole, glabrescent within; m,dr«cim, thick cylindric
apicuUte, shorter than tho perianth, its stalk thick, from half as long to as lone as the
c o l u m n ; authors abont 14, linear. Fr,it shortly pedunoolate, solitary, ovoid with a
short abrupt apiculus, rufous pulverulent, 1'.5 to 2 in. long and 1-2Ô to l o in iii
diam ; pericarp slightly succulent; scd narrowly ovoid, covered to tho anex bv'the
d e e p l y lacmiato, fleshy, yellow arillus. M. laurifolia & M. diospyrifolia, A DC. Prod
511-, I, 191; M. laurifolia, Hmk. f l . PL Br. Ini. v. 103 (in part).
C e y l o n : m moist forests from 1,000 to 4,000 feet. Thmdto, C. P. No. 416, Trimen
Dr. Trimen informs me that tins is the most abundant species of Mi / rMim in
Ceylon, but that it occurs only in tho moister parts of the island; whereas 31. Cajlanim
IS found m parts intormediato, as regards moistm-e, between these and the dry northern
districts. Its vernacular name is, Dr. Trimen says, " Malaboda, " and its thnber is largely
used in making tea chests. He is of opinion that M. DeCandollo's M. dmpgrifilm is not
sepaiablc from M. burif,lia ; and as a matter of fact it appears from DeC's description
of the tatter {Prod. I. c. ) that ho had seen no specimen of it, and that he merely
quotes its description from ff. /, ^ Th. {Fl. Pad. 163), Dr. Trimen believes that
p r o b a b l y the oldest name for the species is M. daetnloidtn of Goertnor, whose figure
(Frud it. Sem. i. t. 41, Jig. 2) agrees very well. But Gosrtnor probably included otheispecies
under the name.
OF BRITISH IKDIA. 291
PLATE 112. Myristiea laurifolia. Hook. fil. ^ Thorns. 1, Branch with a dehiscing
r i p e fruit; 2, ripe fruit; 3, seed; 4, seed covered by its arillus; 5 & 6, sections of
s e e d ; 7, male inflorescence—of natural sise; 8, male perianth ; 9, andriecium—enlarged.
(iVos. 1 ¿0 6 are eopied from a dravjini / m^e from fresh speeimens kindhj Imi to me by
Br. Trimen,
8. MYEISTICÌ BEOnojiEi, Kiiig. A tall treo ; all parts glabrous, except the under surfaces
of the young leaves and the inflorescence at all stages; young branches rather sleader,
d a r k coloured. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic-lanceolate, oblong or elliptic, acute; the base
rounded or suddenly cuneate ; upper surface shining, lower dull, glaucous, the midrib very
s t o u t ; the 13 to 17 pairs of maiu nerves spreading, rather bold at their bases, but faint
towai'ds their interarching apices; length 6 to 10 in., breadth 2;i to 3-5 in., petiole -8
t o 1'25 in. Male ßowers o n stoutly pedunculate, woody, 8- to 20-flowered, axillaiy eymea;
peduncles -25 in., lengthening slightly with age; flowers on pedicels -1 in. long, or sessile;
t h e bracteolo sub-orbicular, tomentose, oblique, embracing a large part of the flower on
one side ; perianth -2 in., ovoid, with 3 broad triangular teeth, extending to about a third
of its length, rufous-pubescent externally, glabrous within. Andrceeimi shorter than the
p e r i a n t h , cylindric and bluntly apiculate; its stalk thick, grooved, varying witli age from
i to A the length of the column ; anthers 9 or 10, linear. Female ßowers in axillary
cymes as in the males, but few-flowered ; flowers sessile ; perianth globular-urceolate,
expanded below the 3 spreading ovate teeth, pubescent outside. Ooary sessile, globose
n a r r o w e d to the apex, adpressed-pubescent ; stigma sessile, large, slightly obhque, subglobose.
Fruit solitary or in pairs, pedunculate, sub-globose, apiculate, grooved on one
side along the suture, 2'25 ini in diam. ; pericarp oiioutely rufous-pubescent, tliick
s u c c u l e n t ; peduncle -25 in. long, very stout. Seed globose, smooth, I'35 in. in diam. •
t h e arillus extending to its apex, red, fleshy. M. laurifolia, Bedrl. FL Sybat., t. 267,
in part] Rook. ßl Fl. Br. Ind. v. 103, in part (exal. syn. M. laurifolia, H. f. TL, from
hoth ciiations).
Peninsular India; Western Gliàts from Cañara to Travancore, from the base of the
r a n g e to elevations of 5,000 feet.
T h i s species has been included under M. Imrifolia by Sir Joseph Hooker and
Colonel Beddome. It appears to nie, however, to diíFer so much from the Ceylon
species to which H. f. & Th. originally gave that name, that I have ventured to
f o rm it into a species. The fruit of this is distinguished from the fruit both of 3f.
laurifolia, H. f. & Th., and of M. Ceylanica, A. DC., by its more globular form and
much more succulent pericarp, as well as by its leaves being glaucous underneath.
Colonel Bed dome ' s figure of M. laarifolvt {FL Sylv., t. 267) is a mixture of the fruit
of this with the leaves and flowers of M. iMalabariaa, Lamk.
PLATE 118. Myristiea Beddomei, King. 1, Branch with male flowers; 2, young fruit
{in section); 3, ripe fruit; 4, seed covered by its arillus—of natural sise; 5, male flower
w i t h bracteole; 6, andro3cium ; 7, female flower; 8, OvuvY—enlarc / ed {Nos. 3 4 are
copied from Beddome's FL Sylo., t 267).
9. MYRISTICA MAGSincA, BeJd. FL Sylv., t. 268. A tree 90 to 100 feet high;
y o u n g branches stout, glabrous, the youngest deciduously rusty-pubescent. Leaves
coriaceous, oblong to elliptic-oblong, acute or acuminate, the base rounded; upper
AKX. EGY, BOT. GANR. CALCUTTA TOL. III.
lllfij.