Myrsinaceae
Encyclopedia
Myrsinaceae, or the Myrsine family, is a rather large family
from the order
Ericales
. It consists of 35 genera and about 1000 species.
It is a widespread family belonging to temperate to tropical climates extending north to Europe
, Siberia
, Japan
, Mexico
and Florida
, and south to New Zealand
, South America
, and South Africa
.
They are mostly mesophytic tree
s and shrub
s; a few are liana
s or sub-herbaceous
. The leathery, evergreen
leaves
are simple and alternate
, with smooth margins and without stipule
s. They are often dotted with glands and resinous cavities. The latter may take the form of secretory lines.
The plants are mostly monoecious
, but a few are dioecious
. The small flower
s are arranged in racemose
terminal clusters, or in the leaf axils. The flowers are 4-merous
or 5-merous, i.e they have 4 or 5 sepal
s and petal
s. The floral envelope (= perianth
) has a distinct calyx and corolla. The calyx is regular and polysepalous. The non-fleshy petals of the corolla are more or less united, closely overlapping. There are 4 or 5 stamen
s, usually isomerous with the perianth. The carpel has one style and one stigma
, with the ovary
unilocular
, superior or semi-inferior.
The one-seeded, indehiscent
fruit
is a thin-fleshed berry
or drupe
.
North-American species are the Marlberry (Ardisia escalloniodes) and the Florida Rapanea
(Rapanea punctata).
Plants in the Myrsine family have few economic uses
. A few genera, such as Ardisia
, Cyclamen
, Lysimachia
, and Myrsine
are grown as ornamental plant
s, especially Ardisia crispa and Myrsine africana. One species, Ardisia japonica
(Chinese: 紫金牛; pinyin: zǐjīn niú) is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine
.
In the APG III system
, Myrsinaceae was not recognized, but was sunk into Primulaceae
, which in that system is circumscribed
very broadly.
The following genera, traditionally categorized in Primulaceae
s.l., should, according to Källersjö et al. (2000), belong to the clade of Myrsinaceae s. lat. : Anagallis, Ardisiandra, Asterolinon , Coris, Cyclamen, Glaux , Lysimachia, Pelletiera and Trientalis .
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
from the order
Taxonomic rank
In biological classification, rank is the level in a taxonomic hierarchy. Examples of taxonomic ranks are species, genus, family, and class. Each rank subsumes under it a number of less general categories...
Ericales
Ericales
The Ericales are a large and diverse order of dicotyledons, including for example tea, persimmon, blueberry, Brazil nut, and azalea. The order includes trees and bushes, lianas and herbaceous plants. Together with ordinary autophytic plants, the Ericales include chlorophyll-deficient...
. It consists of 35 genera and about 1000 species.
It is a widespread family belonging to temperate to tropical climates extending north to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and south to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, and South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
.
They are mostly mesophytic 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 and shrub
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; a few are liana
Liana
A liana is any of various long-stemmed, woody vines that are rooted in the soil at ground level and use trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy to get access to well-lit areas of the forest. Lianas are especially characteristic of tropical moist deciduous...
s or sub-herbaceous
Herbaceous plant
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
. The leathery, evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
are simple and alternate
Phyllotaxis
In botany, phyllotaxis or phyllotaxy is the arrangement of leaves on a plant stem .- Pattern structure :...
, with smooth margins and without stipule
Stipule
In botany, stipule is a term coined by Linnaeus which refers to outgrowths borne on either side of the base of a leafstalk...
s. They are often dotted with glands and resinous cavities. The latter may take the form of secretory lines.
The plants are mostly monoecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
, but a few are dioecious
Plant sexuality
Plant sexuality covers the wide variety of sexual reproduction systems found across the plant kingdom. This article describes morphological aspects of sexual reproduction of plants....
. The small flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s are arranged in racemose
Raceme
A raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
terminal clusters, or in the leaf axils. The flowers are 4-merous
Merosity
Merosity is the number of component parts in each whorl of a plant structure. It is most commonly used in the context of flowers, in which case it refers to the number of sepals in the calyx, the number of petals in the corolla, and the number of stamens in each whorl of the androecium...
or 5-merous, i.e they have 4 or 5 sepal
Sepal
A sepal is a part of the flower of angiosperms . Collectively the sepals form the calyx, which is the outermost whorl of parts that form a flower. Usually green, sepals have the typical function of protecting the petals when the flower is in bud...
s and petal
Petal
Petals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
s. The floral envelope (= perianth
Perianth
The term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:* In flowering plants, the perianth are the outer, sterile whorls of a flower...
) has a distinct calyx and corolla. The calyx is regular and polysepalous. The non-fleshy petals of the corolla are more or less united, closely overlapping. There are 4 or 5 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s, usually isomerous with the perianth. The carpel has one style and one stigma
Stigma (botany)
The stigma is the receptive tip of a carpel, or of several fused carpels, in the gynoecium of a flower. The stigma receives pollen at pollination and it is on the stigma that the pollen grain germinates. The stigma is adapted to catch and trap pollen with various hairs, flaps, or sculpturings...
, with the ovary
Ovary (plants)
In the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
unilocular
Locule
A locule is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism ....
, superior or semi-inferior.
The one-seeded, indehiscent
Dehiscence (botany)
Dehiscence is the opening, at maturity, in a pre-defined way, of a plant structure, such as a fruit, anther, or sporangium, to release its contents. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part. Structures that open in this way are said to be dehiscent...
fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a thin-fleshed berry
Berry
The botanical definition of a berry is a fleshy fruit produced from a single ovary. Grapes are an example. The berry is the most common type of fleshy fruit in which the entire ovary wall ripens into an edible pericarp. They may have one or more carpels with a thin covering and fleshy interiors....
or drupe
Drupe
In botany, a drupe is a fruit in which an outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed inside. These fruits develop from a single carpel, and mostly from flowers with superior ovaries...
.
North-American species are the Marlberry (Ardisia escalloniodes) and the Florida Rapanea
Rapanea
Rapanea is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Rapanea acuminata* Rapanea allenii Lundell, Central & South America* Rapanea ceylanica Mez, Sri Lanka endemic* Rapanea coclensis Lundell, Panama endemic...
(Rapanea punctata).
Plants in the Myrsine family have few economic uses
Economic botany
Economic botany can be very broadly defined as a study of relationships between plants and people. Economic botany contributes significantly to anthropology, biology, conservation, botany, and other fields of science...
. A few genera, such as Ardisia
Ardisia
Ardisia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrsinaceae , native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Australasia...
, Cyclamen
Cyclamen
Cyclamen is a genus of 23 species of perennials growing from tubers, valued for their flowers with upswept petals and variably patterned leaves...
, Lysimachia
Lysimachia
Lysimachia is a genus of flowering plants. It is traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae but should, according to molecular phylogenetic study, be placed to the family Myrsinaceae .-Characteristics:...
, and Myrsine
Myrsine
Myrsine is a genus of flowering plants, the nominate genus of the family Myrsinaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas...
are grown as ornamental plant
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
s, especially Ardisia crispa and Myrsine africana. One species, Ardisia japonica
Ardisia japonica
Ardisia japonica is a species of Ardisia native to eastern Asia, in eastern China, Japan and Korea.-Growth:It is a low-growing, spreading very quickly evergreen shrub 20–40 cm tall. The leaves are opposite or in whorls, ovate, 4–7 cm long and 1.5–4 cm broad, with a sharply serrated...
(Chinese: 紫金牛; pinyin: zǐjīn niú) is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
.
In the APG III system
APG III system
The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy...
, Myrsinaceae was not recognized, but was sunk into Primulaceae
Primulaceae
Primulaceae is a family of flowering plants with about 24 genera, including some favorite garden plants and wildflowers. It is also known as the primrose family.- Genera :...
, which in that system is circumscribed
Circumscription (taxonomy)
In taxonomy, circumscription is the definition of the limits of a taxonomic group of organisms. One goal of taxonomy is to achieve a stable circumscription for every taxonomic group. Achieving stability can be simple or difficult....
very broadly.
Genera
- AegicerasAegicerasAegiceras is a genus of trees and shrubs from Southeast Asia, Malesia, Australia and the Pacific Islands. They occur in coastal or estuarine areas.-Species:* Aegiceras corniculatum* Aegiceras ferreum* Aegiceras floridum...
- Amblyanthopsis
- Amblyanthus
- AnagallisAnagallisAnagallis is a genus of about 20–25 species of flowering plants in the myrsine family Myrsinaceae, commonly called pimpernel and perhaps best known for the Scarlet pimpernel referred to in literature...
- Antistrophe
- ArdisiaArdisiaArdisia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrsinaceae , native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas, Asia, and Australasia...
- Asterolinon (should be included into the Anagallis clade)
- BadulaBadulaBadula is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Badula crassa, A.DC.* Badula platyphylla, Coode* Badula reticulata, A.DC.* Badula sieberi, A.DC....
- Conandrium
- CorisCoris (plant)Coris is a plant genus in the family Primulaceae or Myrsinaceae....
- Ctenardisia
- Cybianthus
- CyclamenCyclamenCyclamen is a genus of 23 species of perennials growing from tubers, valued for their flowers with upswept petals and variably patterned leaves...
- Discocalyx
- ElingamitaElingamitaElingamita is a genus in the Myrsinaceae family of plants. It consists of a single species, Elingamita johnsonii, a tree or shrub endemic to the Three Kings Islands approximately 55 km north of the North Island of New Zealand...
- EmbeliaEmbeliaEmbelia is a genus of climbing shrubs in the family Myrsinaceae. There are about 130 species which occur in tropical and subtropical areas across a wide range including Africa and Madagascar and from eastern Asia to the Pacific Islands as well as Australia including:*Embelia angustifolia A...
- Emblemantha
- Fittingia
- GeissanthusGeissanthusGeissanthus is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Geissanthus challuayacus, Pipoly* Geissanthus ecuadorensis, Mez* Geissanthus fallenae, Lundell* Geissanthus pichinchae, Mez...
- Glaux (should be included into the clade Lysimachia)
- HeberdeniaHeberdeniaHeberdenia is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae. It contains the following species :* Heberdenia excelsa, Banks...
- Hymenandra
- Labisia
- Loheria
- LysimachiaLysimachiaLysimachia is a genus of flowering plants. It is traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae but should, according to molecular phylogenetic study, be placed to the family Myrsinaceae .-Characteristics:...
- MaesaMaesaMaesa is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Maesa alnifolia* Maesa angolensis* Maesa bequaertii* Maesa borjeana* Maesa butaguensis* Maesa cordifolia* Maesa djalonis* Maesa emirnensis...
: has been raised to family rank Maesaceae - Anderberg et al. (2000) - Monoporus
- MyrsineMyrsineMyrsine is a genus of flowering plants, the nominate genus of the family Myrsinaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas...
- Oncostemum
- ParathesisParathesisParathesis is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Parathesis amplifolia, Lundell* Parathesis aurantica, Lundell* Parathesis bicolor, Lundell* Parathesis congesta, Lundell* Parathesis eggersiana, Mez...
- Pelletiera (should be included into the Anagallis clade)
- PleiomerisPleiomerisPleiomeris is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae. It contains the following species :* Pleiomeris canariensis, A.DC....
- RapaneaRapaneaRapanea is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Rapanea acuminata* Rapanea allenii Lundell, Central & South America* Rapanea ceylanica Mez, Sri Lanka endemic* Rapanea coclensis Lundell, Panama endemic...
- Sadiria
- Solonia
- StylogyneStylogyneStylogyne is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Stylogyne darienensis, Lundell...
- TapeinospermaTapeinospermaTapeinosperma is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Tapeinosperma campanula, Mez...
- TrientalisTrientalisTrientalis is a small genus of flowering plants containing three species known as starflowers or wintergreens. These plants have the unusual trait of sometimes bearing flower parts in sevens. They may also come in fives and sixes. The roots are tuber-like. They are native to North America and...
- Tetrardisia
- Vegaea
- WalleniaWalleniaWallenia is a genus of plant in family Myrsinaceae.Species include:* Wallenia calyptrata, Urb.* Wallenia clusioides, Mez* Wallenia corymbosa, Urb.* Wallenia elliptica, Urb.* Wallenia erythrocarpa, Urb....
The following genera, traditionally categorized in Primulaceae
Primulaceae
Primulaceae is a family of flowering plants with about 24 genera, including some favorite garden plants and wildflowers. It is also known as the primrose family.- Genera :...
s.l., should, according to Källersjö et al. (2000), belong to the clade of Myrsinaceae s. lat. : Anagallis, Ardisiandra, Asterolinon , Coris, Cyclamen, Glaux , Lysimachia, Pelletiera and Trientalis .