Acmena
Encyclopedia
Acmena is a genus of shrub
s and small tree
s in the myrtle family Myrtaceae
. They are related to guava
s. The name is derived from the Greek
word for "plentiful."
The name was first validly published in 1828. The species of this genus have sometimes been treated as part of the large Old World genus Syzygium
(which in turn has sometimes been included in Eugenia
, although many authors limit Eugenia mostly to New World species). Several 2006 papers include Acmena in Syzygium.
There are 15 species; six are endemic to Australia
, and a seventh occurs there. The remaining species are native to Malesia
.
The Australian species are commonly labelled as lilly pillies, along with the Australian Syzygiums
Acmena is used as a food plant by the larva
e of some Lepidoptera
species including Aenetus ligniveren
, which burrows into the trunk.
Species include:
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s and small tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s in the myrtle family Myrtaceae
Myrtaceae
The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, clove, guava, feijoa, allspice, and eucalyptus belong here. All species are woody, with essential oils, and flower parts in multiples of four or five...
. They are related to guava
Guava
Guavas are plants in the myrtle family genus Psidium , which contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. They are native to Mexico, Central America, and northern South America...
s. The name is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word for "plentiful."
The name was first validly published in 1828. The species of this genus have sometimes been treated as part of the large Old World genus Syzygium
Syzygium
Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1100 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific...
(which in turn has sometimes been included in Eugenia
Eugenia
Eugenia is a genus of flowering plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It has a worldwide, although highly uneven, distribution in tropical and subtropical regions. The bulk of the approximately 1,000 species occur in the New World tropics, especially in the northern Andes, the Caribbean, and the...
, although many authors limit Eugenia mostly to New World species). Several 2006 papers include Acmena in Syzygium.
There are 15 species; six are endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and a seventh occurs there. The remaining species are native to Malesia
Malesia
Malesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
.
The Australian species are commonly labelled as lilly pillies, along with the Australian Syzygiums
Acmena is used as a food plant by the larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e of some Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera
Lepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
species including Aenetus ligniveren
Aenetus
Aenetus is a genus of moths of the family Hepialidae. There are 24 described species found in Indonesia, New Guinea, New Caledonia, Australia and New Zealand. Most species have green or blue forewings and reddish hindwings but some are predominantly brown or white...
, which burrows into the trunk.
Species include:
- Acmena divaricata Merr. & L.M.Perry
- Acmena graveolens (F.M.Bailey) L.S.Sm.
- Acmena hemilampraAcmena hemilampraAcmena hemilampra, known as the Broad-leaved Lilly Pilly is a rainforest tree from New South Wales and Queensland. Often seen on sand by the sea in littoral rainforests, also seen further inland by streams. It reaches its best development in the red/brown volcanic soils, such as around the Mount...
(F.Muell. ex F.M.Bailey) Merr. & L.M.Perry - Acmena ingensAcmena ingensAcmena ingens is a rainforest tree of eastern Australia. It grows on volcanic soil from the Big Scrub region of north eastern New South Wales to Gympie in south eastern Queensland...
(F.Muell. ex C.Moore) Guymer & B.Hyland - Acmena macrocarpa C.T.White
- Acmena resa B.Hyland
- Acmena smithiiAcmena smithiiSyzygium smithii is a summer flowering evergreen tree, belonging to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It is commonly planted as shrubs or hedgerows. It features rough woody bark, cream and green smooth waxy leaves with flushes of pink new growth and pink to mauve edible berries. It shares the common...
(Poir.) Merr. & L.M.Perry