Myristica

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Myristica >

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Read about Myristica in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Myristica (Greek, alluding to the aromatic qualities of the plants). Myristicaceae. Nutmeg. Myristicas are of many species, but most of the nutmegs of commerce are the product of M. fragrans, Houtt. (M. moschata, Thunb. M. officinalis, Linn. f. M. aromatica, Lam.), shown in Figs. 2425, 2426. This tree is cult.and naturalized in the W. Indies. The genus Myristica is the only one in the family under the old treatment, but it is now divided by Warburg into 8 genera. As delimited, Myristica comprises about 80 species in farther India, Austral., and Pacific Isls. As formerly defined they are dioecious trees with alternate, entire, pinnate-veined lvs., and small fls. in axillary clusters: perianth 2-4- (usually 3-) lobed, in a single series; anthers 3 or more, connate; ovary single, 1 loculed, ripening into a fleshy fr. The nutmeg of commerce is the seed. This is surrounded by a ruminated aril, which furnishes the mace of commerce. The fr. of M. fragrans is short-pear-shaped, to nearly globular, 1½-2 in. long, hanging, reddish or yellowish, somewhat fleshy, splitting at maturity into 2 valves and disclosing the scarlet aril or mace. Inside the aril is the hard nut or shell, and inside the shell is the nutmeg. The details of the mace and nutmeg are shown in Fig. 2426. For a full illustrated and historical account of the nutmeg, see B.M. 2756, 2757 (1827). The nutmeg has not been grown to any extent in the western hemisphere, the commercial supply of nuts and mace coming mostly from the E. Indies. The nutmeg tree requires a position in well-sheltered, hot, moist valleys in the tropics from sea-level up to 400 or 500 feet; it will grow and produce fruit in Jamaica up to 2,000 feet, but the fruit is not so abundant nor the nut so large as at lower elevations. The soil must be a deep rich loam, well drained. The seedlings have a tap-root which is very easily injured in transplanting. The method usually adopted for growing them is to sow the seeds in bamboo pots, one in each. When they are ready for planting in their permanent places, the bamboo is slit, and the soil, with the plant, gently put into the prepared hole. It is only when they first flower that it is possible to tell the sex of the tree. Nothing is known of the conditions which determine the sex. In Grenada (British West Indies), the usual proportion of male trees to female is said to be as three to one, though sometimes forty or fifty trees close together will all be either male or female. As the trees generally flower when they are six or seven years old, there is great waste in the growth of male trees. In the Botanic Gardens in Jamaica, it has been found possible to graft the nutmeg, so that a loss of this kind should not occur again; the plan is, take young seedlings and graft, by approach, the thinnest twigs of a female tree. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

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