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MYRTACEAE MYRTLE FAMILY

Leslie R. Landrum, except as noted

[Subshrub] shrub, tree, trunk bark smooth or scaly; glands 0 or embedded in epidermis.
Leaf: opposite or alternate, persistent, generally glandular when young.
Inflorescence: generally axillary, raceme, panicle, cyme, or flowers 1.
Flower: generally bisexual, parts in 4s, 5s, generally ± white; hypanthium exceeding ovary or not; stamens generally many; ovary [rarely superior to] inferior, 2–5(18)-chambered; placentas axillary, just below top, or basal, ovules few to many, generally in 2–many series.
Fruit: berry, capsule, nut.
Seed: 1–many; coat membranous to ± leathery or hard, bony; embryo starchy or oily (of great taxonomic importance).
100 genera, ± 3500 species: many species tropical America, Australasia, fewer Africa, s Asia; economically important for timber (Eucalyptus), spices (Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry, cloves; Pimenta dioica (L.) Merr., allspice), edible fruits (Psidium guajava L., guava; Acca sellowiana (O. Berg) Burret, pineapple guava), many orns (Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, several other genera). [McVaugh 1968 Taxon 17:354–418] Apparently of Gondwanan origins; tropics, subtrop, Medit climates. Chamelaucium uncinatum Schauer, Luma apiculata (DC.) Burret, Melaleuca citrina (Curtis) Dum.Cours., Myrtus communis L., Syzygium australe (Link) B. Hyland are waifs. —Scientific Editor: Thomas J. Rosatti.
Unabridged references: [McVaugh 1968 Taxon 17:354–418; Wilson et al. 2005 Plant Syst Evol 251:3–19]

Key to Myrtaceae

MYRTUS
Shrub, small tree.
Stem: erect or leaning; bark shed in small flakes; trunk rough.
Leaf: generally opposite.
Inflorescence: flowers 1 in axils, pedicelled.
Flower: hypanthium ± obconic; calyx lobes, petals 5, free; stamens many; ovary chambers 2–3; style < 1 cm.
Fruit: berry, < 1 cm, blue-purple.
Seed: ± flattened, snailshell-like, outer rim of seed coat shiny, hard, only a few cells thick, easily broken; central portion of seed often soft; embryo a C-shaped cylinder, ± 2 × cotyledons in length.
1 (perhaps 2) species: Medit. (Ancient Greek name)

M. communis L. MYRTLE
WAIF

Stem: < 6 m, trunk ± contorted, gray to orange-brown.
Leaf: 0.8–4.5, ovate or lanceolate to elliptic, acute to acuminate, thinly leathery, dark green adaxially.
Flower: < 2.5 cm wide; petals round to ovate, white, spreading, adaxially concave; stamens forming a dense ring, ± = petals.
Fruit: < 12 mm wide.
Disturbed wet areas; 740 m. Inner North Coast Ranges; native to Mediterranean, naturalized Louisiana, Texas, potentially escaping in humid, non-freezing areas in North America. Often cultivated in CA. [Online Interchange]

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Citation for the whole project: Jepson Flora Project (eds.) [year] Jepson eFlora, http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/IJM.html [accessed on month, day, year]
Citation for an individual treatment: [Author of taxon treatment] [year]. [Taxon name] in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, [URL for treatment]. Accessed on [month, day, year].

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Bioregions in which taxon occursRed area (if present) is the part of the bioregion lying between the upper and lower elevation limits of the taxon;
markers link to CCH specimen records. If the markers are obscured, reload the page [or change window size and reload]. Yellow markers indicate records that may provide evidence for eFlora range revision or may have georeferencing or identification issues.
map of distribution 1

Chart based on elevation range in Manual and elevations and coordinates of CCH records.
Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
Note: About half of the CCH records include both elevation and coordinates.
Map made in collaboration with Scott Loarie. Data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria.
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CCH collections by month

Duplicates counted once; synonyms included.
Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa.
Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.