Bog Myrtle, GALE, or SWEET GALE

Bog Myrtle, GALE, or SWEET GALE (Myrica Gale), an aromatic and resinous shrub, with small lanceolate and serrate gland-dotted leaves, the only genus of the amenable sub-order Myricaceæ. It covers large areas of bog and of wet moorland in northern regions, and was formerly put to many domestic uses. Its twigs were used to make beds, and to keep away moths and other insects, while its shoots and leaves served as a substitute for hops, its leaves were mixed with tobacco, and wax was obtained from its berries. See CANDLEBERRY.