Jepson Herbarium
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Indexes to all accepted names and synonyms: | A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z |

[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

Shrub, tree, generally glabrous.
Leaf: opposite, persistent, papery or leathery.
Inflorescence: cyme, panicle, or raceme, terminal, axillary, sometimes on older stems.
Flower: calyx lobes, petals 4 [(5)]; hypanthium prolonged above ovary, base often long- acuminate; ovaries chambers generally 2, each few–many-ovuled.
Fruit: berry.
Seed: 1–2(5), seed coat membranous; embryos sometimes many, distorted; cotyledons separate, thick, planoconvex.
± 500 species: old world tropics. (Greek: joined, from paired structures of some species) [Hyland 1983 Austral J Bot Suppl Ser 9:1–164]

Stem: branchlets weakly compressed, 4-winged or -ribbed near tips, wings merging in pairs to form pocket near next lower node; older branches smooth, ± cylindric, bark tan, flaking.
Leaf: blade obovate or elliptic, 3–9 cm, 1.2–3.2 cm wide, 2.2–2.8 × longer than wide; base ± narrowly wedge-shaped; apex acute or abruptly acuminate, with mucro.
Inflorescence: terminal and in upper leaf axils, cyme, axis 10–15 mm; flowers 3–7; bracts falling before flowers open, leaving prominent scar.
Flower: bud 6–10 mm, club-shaped; bracteoles ephemeral; calyx lobes 4, in subequal pairs, 2–3 mm, 2–4 mm wide, ovate, margins scarious, apex bluntly acute to rounded; petals round, 3–5 mm diam, white, margins scarious, tip rounded; stamens 100–150; styles 7–24 mm.
Fruit: 14–23 mm, ± spheric or elliptic, red or purple.
Seed: generally 1, spheric; cotyledons >> embryonic stem.
Rare in disturbed urban riparian areas; < 50 m. South Coast (San Diego Co.);

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Next taxon: Nitrariaceae

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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 occurs	Red 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 have georeferencing or identification issues.
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. View all CCH records   CCH collections by month Duplicates counted once; synonyms included. Species do not include records of infraspecific taxa. Blue line denotes Manual flowering time.