Bot. [mod. L., named by Sir J. Banks after Compton (1632–1713), Bishop of London.] A genus of plants (N.O. Myricaceæ) consisting of a single N. American species, C. asplenifolia, the Sweet Fern of the United States; it is closely allied to Myrica or Gale, and is now often included in that genus.
1823. Crabbe, Technol. Dict., s.v., Fern-leaved Comptonia, a shrub, native of New England.
1866. Treas. Bot., Comptonia … was introduced in 1714 by the Duchess of Beaufort.
