THE SPECIES OP jrYEISTICA
3 to 5 in. long and 3 to 3-5 in. broad, much-branched, many-flowered, quite glabrous.
Floivers pedicellate, -15 in. broad, inflated, transversely 07ate, broader than long,
compressed, boldly 2-valved; pedicel as long as the perianth. Andrcecium a laterallycompressed,
sessile, flattened, S-Iobed cup, bearing about 30 elongate linear anthers,
connate from base to apex, each lube completely inflescd about the middle. Female
flowers and ripe fruit unknown.
Singapore; Murtón, Ridley; Malacca, Ridley.
A species readily distinguished from any described in this paper by its broad,
compressed, 2-lipped perianth, with the anthers connate into two itiflexed masses. An
allied species from Banda (Bar.gka ?) is cultivated in tlie Botanic Garden,
Buitenzorg; but the anthers in it are more inimerous and they are inflesod only
when young. A specimen collected by Do Vriese iu Amboina {kindly contributed to the
Calcutta Harbarium by the authorities of the Leiden Herbarium) agrees with this in
leaves and male flowers, except that tiie latter are rather smaller. That specimen bears
the name M. glohdaria, Bl.; but I venture to think that it is wrongly so named
( 3 / . globularia being figured by Blume in Rumphia 1, t. 6, fy. 2, with gloLlar flowers),
and that it is really referable to 3L himlvis.
PLATE 139. Myristica bivalvis, Hook. fil. 1, Branch with male panicles-O/ natural
sise; 2 & S, male flowers unopened; 4, valves of perianth oponed up, the andraeium
taken out; 5, andrcecium, side view; 6, half of the andrcecium seen from inside;
7, vertical section of andi-cceium to show the incurving of the edges of its two
ha-lvGs—enlaryed.
36. JlrRiSTicA CE4SS(F0LIA, Uoot JiL ^ Tltoms. Fl. Ind. 160. A tree ; young branches
thick, dark-cohmred and rather rough. Leaves coriaceous, glabrous, elliptic-oblong,
rather widest in the lower half, obtuse, the base slightly and suddenly cuneate; upper
surface dull, greenish when dry; lower brown, dull, sub-glaucous; main nerves U to
13 pairs, rather prominent beneath, half-ascending, little curved, iiiterarching near
the margin; length Go to 8-5 in., breadth 3 to 3-o in.; petiule -75 in., stout. Male
panicles axillary or from axils of fallen leaves, branching from the base, rufoustomentoso,
2-5 to 5 in. long and 2 to 2-5 in. in diam. Flowers numerous, -03 in. in
diam., sub-globular, slightly compressed, glabrous, in rather dense clusters on the
panicles; pedicels as long as the flowers; perianth thin, 2-valved; andrceeium sessile,
flattened, elongated transversely; anthers 10, only partially attached to the column and
to each other, ovate, compressed, opening by vertical elongated sutures. Female flowers
and fruit unknown. Hook. fil. Fl. Br. Ind. v. 108 ; A. DC. in Prod. xiv. 1, 204.
M. Irya, VAR. crassifolia, Miq. in Herh. JI, Horsfieldü, Bhme, ? Wall. Cat. 6806 {in part).
Malacca; Griffith {Eew Distrib. No. 4550), Cantley. Singapore; Walliek, Anderson,
Ridley. Distrib.—Borneo, Bangka, Amboina, De Vriese.
PLATE 140. Myristica crassifolia, Hook. fil. ^ Thorns. 1, Branch with male panicles—
of natural size; 2, male flower; 3 & 4, andrcccium—«
37. MVRISTICA IEYA, Gartn. Fruct. i. 195, t. 41. A tree 30 to 40 feet high; youngest
branches rather stout, dark-coloured; the older glabrous, rather pale, often lenticcllate,
striate, two of the strijs on opposite sides of the branches much elevated. Leavc.'^
membranous, glabrous, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate; the base cuneate; upper surface dull
greenish-brown when dry; the lower of a paler brown, not greenish; nerves 9 to 13 pairs.
OF BEITISir INDIA. 309
slender, spreading; length 5-5 to 8 in., breadth 1-7 to 2'0 in.; petiole about -35 in. Male
panicles axillary, 2-5 to 4 in. long, glabrous or often minutely rufous-pubescent towards
the apex, much-branched, many-flowered, the flowers glomerulate. Flowers -05 in, in
diam., sub-globose, or sub-obovate, slightly or much compressed, usually glabrous; jJedicels
as long as tho flowers; perianth thin, 2-valved; andrcecium broadly obovate, flat-topped,
slightly elongate transversely; anthers about 10, free except at the base, elongate-ovate,
2-celled, their apices slightly incurved when young. Female panicles much smaller than
the male (1-5 to 2 in. long and about I'D iu. broad); the flowers fewer and larger;
•perianth slightly obovoid, blunt, glabrous, thick, S-valved; ovary sessile, globular, ovoid,
glabrous; stigma small, subterniina!. Fruit solitary or in scanty racemes, globular, about
•9 in. in diam., glabrous; pericarp thick, coriaceous; arillus thin, fleshy, red, completely
e^^veloping the perfectly spherical seed, entire or slightly toothed at tlie very apex, the
teeth overlapping. Hook. fil. Thorn. Fl. Ind. 159; Hook. fil. Fl. Dr. Ind. v. 109 ; A. DC.
in Prod. xiv. 1, 202 {excL syn. M. cxaltata. Wall, from the foregoing); Thwailes Enum.
PI. Ceij. II; Uiq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i, pt. 2, p. 64; Bedd. For. Man. 176; Miq. Fl. Ind. Bat. i. pt.
2, 64; Kurz Fl. Burm. ii. 282. M. Javanica, Bl. Bijdr. o76, & Rimphia i. 190, t. 62.
Ceylon; Thwaites C. P. 2620, Trimen. Penang, Curtis No. 936. Malacca; Griffith
No. 4357, Maingay No. 1292. Singapore and Pahang, Ridley. Perak, Svorteehini.
Distrib.—Malayan Archipelago.
There is no doubt that the nutmeg to which Gasrtner gave tho-name M. Irya was
a Ceylon plant. The specific name is as near as may be to the vernacular name
still currcnt for it in that island; and tho only locality ho quotes for the species is
Coylou. The Ceylon plant is therefore, presumably, exactly Gsertuer's -If. Irya. The
only specimens which I have seen from any other source which in every particular
agree with Ceylon specimens are from Penang {Curtis No. 9^6). The species, or a
plant or plants which it has hitherto been impossible to separate from it, is however
found in Burmah, the Malayan Peninsula, and iu the Andaman Islands; apparently
also it extends to the Malayan Archipelago. This is an unusually wide distiibution
for a member of this genus, and, as might be expected, there is some amount of variety
of form. Two of the forms I describe as varieties thus;—
VAH. longifolia, Kiny. Leaves oblong-lanceolate, 8 to 11 in. long; nerves
18 to 21 pairs. M. Vrieseana, Miq. Ann. Mus. Lugd. Bat. ii. 49.
Malacca; Maingay (No. 1291, Kmo Distrib.) Perak, Saortechini No. 1738; King's
No. 7447. Great Coco Island; D. Prain. S. Andaman, K^irs. Distrib.—.
Bo^rce, Borneo,
VAR. Wallichii, King. Leaves acuminate, much narrowed at the base; fruit
slightly apiculate; arillus shortly toothed at the apex. Myristica
sphoirocarpa. Wall. PI. As. Rar. i. ¡Í. 89; Wall. Cat. 6796.
Burmah, Wallieh, Kurz.
There is at Calcutta, thanks to the kindness of tho authorities of the Leiden
lierbarium, one of the. specimens of De Vriese on which Miquel founded his species
31. Vrieseana, and there is no doubt whatever that it is M. Irya, Gcertu.., VAK. lonyifoUa.
ANN. ROT. BOT. GAED. CALCUTTA VOL. III.