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Myrica (ancient Greek name, possibly applied originally to the tamarisk). Myricaceae. Wax Myrtle. Ornamental woody plants grown chiefly for their handsome foliage and attractive fruits and some species for their edible fruits.

Leaves alternate, short-petioled, without stipules, entire or serrate, resinous-punctate: fls. dioecious or monoecious, without perianth, in unisexual catkins; stamens 2-16, usually 4-6; ovary 1-celled, with 2 slender filiform stigmas: fr. a drupe, dry or succulent, usually coated with a waxy exudation; nut thick-walled. 1-seeded.—About 50 species in the temperate and warmer regions of both hemispheres.

The wax myrtles are aromatic shrubs or small trees with deciduous or evergreen generally oblong leaves and inconspicuous flowers followed by ornamental grayish white or red fruits. Wax is obtained from the fruits of several species; some are cultivated for their succulent and edible fruits. The bark is astringent and used medicinally and in tanning. Myrica Gale and M. carolinensis are hardy North; M. cerifera is somewhat tenderer and M. californica is still more tender, while M. rubra and M. Faya can be grown in subtropical regions only. M. Gale and also M. cerifera prefer moist and peaty soil while M. carolinensis and M. californica grow well in sandy and sterile soil and are widely distributed along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts respectively. Propagation is by seeds sown after maturity; also by layers, and some species, particularly M. Gale, by suckers.

M. aspleniifolia, Linn.-Comptonia aspleniifolia.—M. sapida, Wall. Allied to M. rubra. Tree: branches pubescent: lvs. oblong to oblanceolate, 3-6 in. long: staminate fls. in panicles: fr. in elongated spikes, ellipsoid, ⅓ in. long; nut pointed at both ends, edible. Himalayas, India, Malay Archipelago. Wallich, Tent. Fl. Nepal. 45.
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