THE SPECIES OF MTRISTICA
or cordate, upper surfacc glabrous, shining; the lower, when adult, glaucous and quite
glabrous; main nerves 17 to 30 pairs, spreading, impressed above, prominent beneath;
length 10 to 13 in., breadth 3-25 to 5 in. 3íi*le panicles stout, shortly pedunculate,
densely-flowered, 1 to 2 in. long; perianth -2 in. long, OToid in bud, campanulate
when open, deeply divided into 3 ovate, sub-acute tooth, rufous-tomentose both outside
and inside; andrcecium sessile, cylindric, truncate; anthers about 9, linear, slightly
freo at theii- edges, the apices free and apiculate. Female Jl-jwer and fruit uukaown.
Singapore and Malacca : J. H. Murtón.
The above description is copied mainly from Sir Joseph Hooker (in F. B. I.)
The only specimen which I have seen is that from which the drawing was made.
I t was collected at Malacca. Its single fascicle of male flowers is detached. On
the ticket which accompanies it there is written this note:—"A tree 70 feet high,
bearing very large fruit, some 3 inches in diameter; leaves only, the tree not having
flowered or fruited this year." The leaf part of the specimen resembles ilf. braoteatu
A. DC., but the flowers are unlike those of any other that I have seen.
P í a t e 124 ier. Myristica Murtoni, Eúok. fit. 1, Leaf-twig ; 2, fragment of a
panicle of male flowers—o/ natural size ; 3, male flower ; 4, andi-oscium—
20. Myristica febrcgineí, Wall. Cat. 6803. A tree; young branches stout, densely
covered with very short, rufous tomentum, beneath which they are minutely lenticellate
and striate; leaf-buds densely rufous-lanose. Leaves coriaceous, elliptic-ovate, very shortly
and suddenly acuminate, the base broadly rounded and often emarginate; upper surface
glabi'ous, shining; lower covered with loose deciduous rusty tomentum, finally glabrous
and sub-glaucous; main nerves 20 to 22 paii-s, sub-horizontal, rather prominent beneath,
curving upwards and interarchiag at the much more slender tips; length 9 to 12 iu.,
breadth 4 to 4-5 in., petiole -6 in. Male panicles axillary, with few short, condensed,
many-flowered, spreading branches, the branches as well as the flowers densely silky
rufous-tomentose, 2 to 2-0 in. long and 1-25 in. broad; buds ovoid, -lo in. long; the
pedicels much shorter; perianth leathery, with 2 or sometimes 3 teeth, tomentoso outside,
glabrescent inside; andrcecium sessile, broadly ovoid, its apex obtuse; anthers about
18, narrow, elongate, firmly united to the column and to each other, their a2>ices alone
free. Female floiuer and fruit unknown.
Singapore : Wallich, Ridley.
This species, for many years known only by Wallich's fragmentary flowerless specimens,
has been recently collected by Mr. 11. M. Ridley, Director of the Botanical
Garden, Singapore. Mr. Ridley's, which agree exactly with Wallich's specimens (as far
as the latter go), are males; females being still unknown. The andrcecium closely
approaches that of Eumyriatica, inasmuch as the anthers are much elongate and connate
with each other and with the column. Tlie panicles, however, are quite those of
Fyrrhosa. This species and M. fuloa thus form, as regards androBcium, a connecting
liuk between these two sections.
P l a t e 125. Myristica ferruginea. Wall. I, Branch with male panicle (the lower
surface of the leaf exposed); 2, leaf, upper surface—.?/ natural sise; 3 & 4, male
flowers; 5, perianth segment seen from inside; 6, andrccciura—
21, Myristica supekba, HooJc. fil. ^ Thorns. Fl. Ind. 162. A tree 40 to 50 feet high;
young branches stout, covered (as are the under surfaces of the leaves and the panicles_)
OP BRITISK I^•DIA.
with loose, scurfy, bright, rufous, minute, stellate tomentum; the branches ultimately
glabrous, striate, lenticellate, cinereous. Leaves large, coriaccous, elliptic to ellipticlanceolate
or oblanceolate, acute or shortly acuminate; the base cunéate, slightly unequal;
upper surface, when young, covered with dense, minute, rusty tomentum, which is permanent
only along the midrib, the rest of the upper surface ultimately glabrous; main
nerves 1.5 to 30 pairs, impressed on the upper, very prominent (almost winged in old
leaves) on the lower surface, (when dry), spreading, sub-ascending, rather straight, but
curving and inte rare I •ing within the edge; length 10 to 25 in., breadth 4 to 8 in.,
petiole '5 to 1 in., to mentóse. Male panicles robust, from the axils of fallen leaves,
4 to 6 in. long; perianth •25 in. long, leathery, eflipsoid or slightly obovoid, obtuse,
with 3 or 4 triangular teeth; pedicel about as long or shorter, glabrous; andrcecium
shorter than the perianth, not apiculate, ovoid, obtuse; anthers nearly 20, quite connato
to the column and to each other. Female flowers on stout woody racemes, 1 in. or more
long; the rachis woody, pale, rufous-tomentose; perianth coriaceous, glabrous, widely
tubular with 2 or 3 acute, shallow teeth; ovary ovoid, slightly oblique, glabrous, grooved at one
or sometimes on both sides; stigma flat. Fruit ovoid-globose, rough, warted, glabrescent,
2'5 to 3 in. long and nearly 2 in. in diam.; peduncle stout, woody, -5 in. long; pericarp
succulont, -5 to -75 in. thick. A. DC. in Frod. xiv. 1, 194; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i. pt.
2, 62; Eooh.fil FL Br. Ind. v. 105.
Penang; Fhillips. Perak; near Gunong Batu Puteb, at an elevation of from 1,500
to 2,000 feet, King's Collector No. 8024, Scoriechini.
This resembles M. rubiginosa and M. fiocculosa in its leaves, but is at once distinguishable
from both by the much larger size of its male flowers and by its ovoid, obtuse
andrcecium.
Pla-TE 125 Us. Myristica superba, Hook. fil. ^ Thorns. 1, Loaf; 2, male panicle;
3, ripe fruit; 4, section of ripe fruit showing pericarp and seed—o/ natural size; 5 & 6,
male flowers; 7, andi-cDcium—enlarged.
P l a t e 124 Us. Mp-istica superba, IIoolc. fil. 1, Branch with panicles of male
flowers; 2, raceme of female flowers—o/naiiWfl^ «¿e ; 3, perianth of female flower ; 4
& 5, ovaries—slightln enlarged.
22. Myristica Pkaisit, n. sp. King. A tree 40 to 60 feet high; all parts glabrous
except the inflorescence; young branches rather stout, smooth, dark brown. Leaves
thinly coriaceous, elliptic-oblong to broadly-elliptic, acute (usually rather abruptly so);
the base rounded, sub-truncate or emarginate ; both surfaces rather dull when dry, the
lower paler; main nerves 15 to IS pairs, thin but prominent, horizontal at the base,
spreading towards the apex ; length 6 to 10 in., breadth 2-7o to 4-5 in.; petiole -6 to 7 5 in.,
stout. Male p'lnieles from the branches below tlie young leaves, lax, much branched,
wider than long, sub-glabrous below, rusty-pubescent above; 4 to 5 in. long and
6 to 7 in. wide. Flotvers -05 iu. in diam., in umbellulcs of about 6, pedicellate ;
pedicels longer than the perianth; perianth ovoid, 2.valved, sometimes 3 toothed ;
andrcecium much shorter than the perianth, compressed-globular, minutely apiculate,
shortly stalked ; anthers 8, short, ovate, extrorse, confluent. Female flowers unknown.
Fruit ovoid, slightly gibbous at the base at one side, 1-5 in. long; peduncle'5 in.,
very stout ; pericarp rather thick, coriaceous; arillus thin, fleshy, deeply laciniate,
extending to the apex of the ellipsoid, shining seed.
Andaman Islands : Calmita. Bot. Garden Collectors Nos. 417, 431 ; Carter.
Anm. Eoy. Dot. Gaud. Caí