Myricaceae
Read about Myricaceae in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture
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Myricaceae (from the genus Myrica, the ancient name of the Tamarisk). Sweet Gale Family. Fig. 15. Shrubs or trees: leaves alternate, usually simple, resinous: flowers monoecious or dioecious, in catkins or spikes, single for each bract; perianth 0; stamens 4-6, or 16, in the axil of the bract (scale); ovary 1-celled, 1-ovuled; stigmas 2: fruit a drupe, usually slightly horned by union with the bracteoles; seed solitary, orthotropous, basal. One genus with about 35 species is generally distributed over the more temperate parts of the earth. The Myricaceae are related to the other amentiferous families, e.g., Juglandaceae, Fagaceae and Betulaceae. The indehiscent, 1-seeded fruit, basal seeds, two carpels, absence of perianth, and simple leaves are characteristic of the family. Myrica Gale and other species are used for tanning leather. M. Gale has also been used in the preparation of beer. The wax from the drupelets of M. cerífera and M. carolinensis is used for making candles. The fruit of M. sapida and M. Nagi is edible. M. (Comptonia) asplenifolia has been used as a tonic. A volatile oil is obtained from the fruits of M. Gale. The root of M. cerífera is emetic and purgative. M. Nagi is cultivated in California for the edible fruit. M. asplenifolia, native in the United States, is grown for ornament. Other species are sometimes planted.CH
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References
- Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
External links
- w:Myricaceae. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
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