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• Physical Description
• Distribution
• Growth
• Similar Species
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Taxonomy

Notes:

Place of publication: C. F. P. von Martius, Fl. bras. 14(1):361. 1857

Name verified on 16-Mar-1995 by ARS Systematic Botanists. Last updated: 21-Aug-2006

Physical Description

Family Myrtaceae:

Trees or shrubs, evergreen, usually with essential oils-containing cavities in foliage, branchlets, and flowers. Stipules absent or small and caducous. Leaves opposite, occasionally alternate, occasionally ternate or pseudo-whorled; leaf blade with secondary veins pinnate or basal, often with intramarginal veins near margin, margin usually entire. Inflorescences axillary or terminal, cymose but variously arranged, 1- to many-flowered. Flowers bisexual, sometimes polygamous, actinomorphic. Hypanthium usually adnate to ovary and prolonged above it. Calyx lobes (3 or) 4 or 5 or more, distinct or connate into a calyptra. Petals 4 or 5, sometimes absent, distinct or connate into a calyptra, sometimes coherent and pseudocalyptrate. Stamens usually numerous, in 1 to several whorls; filaments distinct or connate into 5 bundles opposite petals; anthers 2-celled, dorsifixed or basifixed, dehiscing longitudinally or rarely terminally; connectives usually terminating in 1 or more apical glands. Ovary inferior, semi-inferior, or very rarely superior, carpels 2 to more, locules 1 to many, pseudoseptum sometimes present, placentation usually axile but occasionally parietal; ovules 1 to several per locule. Style single; stigma single. Fruit a capsule, berry, drupaceous berry, or drupe, 1- to many-seeded. Seeds without endosperm or endosperm sparse and thin; testa cartilaginous or thinly membranous, sometimes absent; embryo straight or curved.

About 130 genera and 4500-5000 species: Mediterranean region, sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, tropical and temperate Asia, Australia, Pacific islands, tropical and South America; 10 genera (five introduced) and 121 species (50 endemic, 32 introduced treated here) in China.

Many Myrtaceae are cultivated garden ornamentals, street trees, or plantation trees. Some members of tribe Syzygieae are grown as fruit crops. In addition to the cultivated members of the family treated here, some others grown in China include Acca sellowiana (O. Berg) Burrett (Feijoa sellowiana (O. Berg) O. Berg), Myrtus communis Linnaeus, and Syncarpia glomulifera (Smith) Niedenzu.^[1]

Habit: Evergreen.

Flowers: Bloom Period: blooms repeatedly • Flower Color: near white, white

Images:

Distribution

Range and Population

Native: .

Growth

Culture: Space 15-20' apart.

Soil: Minimum pH: 5.6 • Maximum pH: 6.5

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Full Sun.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Similar Species

Members of the genus Myrciaria:

There are approximately 161 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them: M. adenodes · M. amazonica · M. angustifolia · M. apiculata · M. arborea · M. arborea var. rostata · M. arborea var. rostrata · M. atiraensis · M. aureana · M. axillaris · M. baporeti · M. baporetii · M. bipennis · M. borinquena (False Tamarisk) · M. boriquena · M. brevipedunculata · M. cauliflora (Brazilian Grape Tree) · M. caurensis · M. chartacea · M. ciliolata · M. ciliolata var. warmingiana · M. cordata · M. coronata · M. cuspidata · M. cuspidata var. acuminatissima · M. cuspidata var. diffusa · M. cuspidata var. humilis · M. cuspidata var. latifolia · M. cuspidata var. stricta · M. delicatula · M. delicatula var. acutifolia · M. delicatula var. angustifolia · M. delicatula var. conferta · M. delicatula var. latifolia · M. deserti · M. dichotoma · M. disticha · M. disticha var. bahiensis · M. disticha var. fluminensis · M. divaricata · M. dubia (Camu-Camu) · M. dumicola · M. edulis · M. egensis · M. ehrenbergiana · M. ferruginea · M. floribunda (Guavaberry) · M. glanduliflora · M. glazioviana · M. glomerata · M. gnapurium · M. grandifolia · M. guaquica · M. guaquiea · M. hagendorffii · M. hatschbachii · M. herbacea · M. ibarrae · M. involucrata · M. itacurubiensis · M. jaboticaba · M. lanceolata · M. lanceolata var. angustifolia · M. lanceolata var. glomerata · M. lanceolata var. laxa · M. leptophylla · M. leucadendron · M. leucophloea · M. leucophloea var. conferta · M. leucophloea var. laxa · M. leucophloea var. warmingiana · M. linearifolia · M. lituatinervia · M. longicaudata · M. longipes · M. longipes var. opaca · M. longipes var. pellucida · M. macrocarpa · M. maragnanensis · M. maranhensis · M. marowynensis · M. maschalantha · M. maximiliana · M. mexicana · M. micrantha · M. minensis · M. myriophylla · M. myrtifolia (Ridgetop Guavaberry) · M. nettiana · M. nitida · M. nitida var. chartacea · M. nitida var. coriacea · M. nitida var. dives · M. oblongata · M. obscura · M. oneillii · M. osteomeloides · M. pallida · M. paraensis · M. perforata

Bibliography

• Angely, J. A. 1965. Flora analitica do Parana. (L Parana) [lists as M. cauliflora O. Berg].
• Chang Hung-ta & Miau Ru-hwai. 1984. Myrtaceae. In: Chen Chieh, ed., Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 53(1): 28-135.
• Facciola, S. 1990. Cornucopia, a source book of edible plants. (Cornucopia) [= Plinia cauliflora].
• Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. (Dict Gard) [lists as M. cauliflora (DC.) O. Berg].
• IPGRI. New World Fruits Database - on-line resource. (New World Fruits)
• Killeen, T. J. et al. 1993. Guia de arboles de Bolivia. (Trees Bolivia) [lists as M. cauliflora O. Berg].
• Markle, G. M. et al., eds. 1998. Food and feed crops of the United States, ed. 2. (Food Feed Crops US)
• Rehm, S. 1994. Multilingual dictionary of agronomic plants. (Dict Rehm)

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Notes

Contributors:

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-2005. Systema Naturae 2000. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. [http://sn2000.taxonomy.nl/Taxonomicon/]. Access date: Nov 23, 2005
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Accessed March 15, 2008. http://www.gbif.org Mediated distribution data from 3 providers.
• USDA, ARS, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network - (GRIN) [Online Database]. National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL (April 27, 2008)

Data Sources:

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal March 15, 2008:

• Arizona State University, International Institute for Species Exploration: Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium
• Missouri Botanical Garden

Identifiers:

• Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) Taxonomic Serial Number (TSN): 506174
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 15647351
• Globally Unique Identifier: urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:599310-1
• U.S.D.A. Plant Symbol: EUCA17
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 38892

Footnotes:

1. Jie Chen & Lyn A. Craven "Myrtaceae". in Flora of China Vol. 13 Page 321. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org.