wax-berry, noun

a. The fruit of the plant Myrica cordifolia of the Myricaceae, characterized by a powdery coating which, when boiled off, yields a wax which was used in the past for polishes and candles. b. This plant; berry wax sense b; wax shrub. Also attributive.
Note:
The name ‘wax-berry’ is also used of a species of Myrica found in North America.
[1801 J. Barrow Trav. I. 19In most of the sandy flats are found in great abundance two varieties of the Myrica cerifera, or wax plant, from the berries of which is procurable, by simple boiling, a firm pure wax.]
1821 C.I. Latrobe Jrnl of Visit 494In other parts..the waxberry-bush has found shelter.
1835 J.W.D. Moodie Ten Yrs in S. Afr. II. 197I occasionally employed my people at spare times in gathering wax-berries.
1856 L. Pappe in Cape of G.H. Almanac & Annual Register 344The ripe drupes of this hardy bush (the Waxberry Myrtle), are covered with a white coat, and yield a superior kind of vegetable wax, which by mere boiling and straining is readily procured.
1897 E. Glanville Tales from Veld 100I..found him peacefully employed boiling down wax berries for the manufacture of candles.
1906 B. Stoneman Plants & their Ways 207Myricaceae...Myrica, the wax berry plant..is the only genus.
1917 R. Marloth Dict. of Common Names of Plants 89Wax berry, Myrica Cordifolia. A shrub frequent among the sand dunes of the southern coast districts...The fruit is a hard drupe, covered with a layer of whitish wax; this is obtained by treating the berries with boiling water; exported as ‘berry wax’.
1926 P.W. Laidler Tavern of Ocean 197Wax-berry shrubs grew abundantly.
1955 V.M. Fitzroy Dark Bright Land 115John has another manufacture in hand — wax-berries for candles...It’s green, quite a dark green, and brittle.
1975 M.R. Levyns in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. XI. 371Waxberry, Wax myrtle. Wasbessie. Glashout. (Myrica cordifolia.) Common plant on sand flats and coastal dunes in the southern part of the Cape Province, belonging to the family Myricaceae.
1987 T.F.J. Van Rensburg Intro. to Fynbos 22Sprawling plants such as..the waxberry (Myrica cordifolia) also occur.
The fruit of the plant Myrica cordifolia of the Myricaceae, characterized by a powdery coating which, when boiled off, yields a wax which was used in the past for polishes and candles.
This plant; berry wax sense b; wax shrub. Also attributive.
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18011987

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wau, interjectionint.wax shrub, noun phrasen. phr.
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