Family:
Primulaceae Batsch ex Borkh.

Myrsine L.

This genus is accepted, and its native range is Tropics & Subtropics.

[FZ]

Myrsinaceae, F. K. Kupicha. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens included in or exceeding corolla; filaments present, inserted at base of corolla, often on a glandular ring; anthers dehiscing by slits.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary glabrous, ovoid or ellipsoid; style well developed; stigma large, discoid, often with incised margins; placenta with few ovules in 1 row.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a globose 1–seeded fleshy drupe with crustaceous endocarp.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed subglobose, with ruminate endosperm.
Morphology General Habit
Dioecious trees and shrubs with leaves very often serrate or crenate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers 4–5–merous, borne in few–flowered axillary fascicles.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals free or shortly connate at the base, marked with resin–dots, the margins usually ciliate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals almost free or connate to the middle, marked with resin–dots, usually ciliate at the margin.

[FTEA]

Myrsinaceae, P. Halliday. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or small trees, ♂, ♀ or hermaphrodite; twigs slender, variably pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves glabrous, entire, crenate or serrate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence axillary few-flowered clusters; peduncles very short, bract-covered; flowers pedicellate, 4-5-merous, gland-dotted
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals free or united at base, margins usually ciliate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla-lobes erect, imbricate, margins often finely erose and speckled
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens shorter to longer than the petals; filaments united at base into a collar which is adnate to the corolla-tube; anthers dorsifixed, free, usually apiculate, dehiscing by longitudinal slits
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary superior, globose or ovoid; ovules few to many in 1 row on the placenta; style short or sometimes exceeding petals; stigma large, discoid-capitate, lobed to fimbriate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a berry, small, fleshy, globose, 1-seeded with persistent calyx
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed globose, covered by remains of placenta; embryo transverse, often curved.

[FZ]

Myrsinaceae, F. K. Kupicha. Flora Zambesiaca 7:1. 1983

Morphology General Habit
Trees and shrubs, glabrous or pubescent.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire or very rarely dentate, often lepidote.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers borne in fascicles on very short lateral branches, 4–5(6–7)–merous, hermaphrodite or more usually unisexual, species often dioecious.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals free or shortly connate, often ciliate at the margin and marked with resin–dots or lines.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals almost free or connate up to 4/5 their length, often papillose at the margin, often marked with dots or lines.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens inserted in the throat of the corolla; filaments absent, the anthers sessile, dehiscing by slits.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary globose or ellipsoid; style short or absent; stigma variable in shape, elongated, scutate or capitate, often lobed or mor–chelliform; placenta with few ovules in 1 row.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dry or fleshy, 1–seeded, with hard endocarp.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed subglobose with a basal cavity at point of attachment, the endosperm ruminate (in F.Z. species) or smooth.

[FTEA]

Myrsinaceae, P. Halliday. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1984

Morphology General Habit
Trees or shrubs, hermaphrodite or dioecious, glabrous or pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves rhododendron-like, coriaceous, often scaly and clustered at ends of branches, shortly petiolate, obovate, oblong to oblanceolate, with or without gland-dots and/or visible translucent streaks, entire or very rarely toothed or spiny
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences axillary (often in axils of fallen leaves), umbellate, small, with numerous scaly bracts
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers small, (4-)5-6(-7)-merous, streaked with dark lines, pedicellate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals united at base into short tube, imbricate or valvate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals recurved, rarely erect, united, usually for 1/3, occasionally more or less
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Stamens attached at throat of corolla; anthers±sessile, oblong to triangular, introrse, splitting longitudinally, exserted, often adnate to corolla in bud
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary superior, globose to ovoid; placenta with few ovules, scattered or uniseriate; style short; stigma variable in shape
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit dry or fleshy, globose, often striate, with persistent style-base and calyx, 1-seeded
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seed globose, smooth, intruded at base; endosperm horny, rarely ruminate; embryo elongate, transverse, often curved.

Native to:

Afghanistan, Andaman Is., Angola, Antipodean Is., Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Assam, Azores, Bahamas, Belize, Bismarck Archipelago, Bolivia, Borneo, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Cape Provinces, Caroline Is., Cayman Is., Central American Pac, Chatham Is., China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Is., Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Himalaya, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Fiji, Florida, Free State, French Guiana, Guatemala, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Hainan, Haiti, Hawaii, Honduras, India, Jamaica, Japan, Jawa, Kenya, Kermadec Is., KwaZulu-Natal, Laos, Leeward Is., Lesotho, Lesser Sunda Is., Madagascar, Malawi, Malaya, Maluku, Marquesas, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nansei-shoto, Nepal, New Caledonia, New Guinea, New South Wales, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Nicaragua, Nicobar Is., Nigeria, Norfolk Is., Northern Provinces, Northern Territory, Ogasawara-shoto, Pakistan, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn Is., Puerto Rico, Queensland, Rwanda, Samoa, Santa Cruz Is., Saudi Arabia, Seychelles, Society Is., Solomon Is., Somalia, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Sulawesi, Sumatera, Suriname, Swaziland, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, Tibet, Tonga, Trinidad-Tobago, Tuamotu, Tubuai Is., Turks-Caicos Is., Uganda, Uruguay, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Venezuelan Antilles, Victoria, Vietnam, Wallis-Futuna Is., West Himalaya, Western Australia, Windward Is., Yemen, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Extinct in:

Socotra

Introduced into:

Great Britain

Myrsine L. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Sequeira, V., Ecuador 58789.000 No
De Silva, F. [Cat. no. 7450] K001127351 Yes
Ash [1052], Ethiopia Rapanea 35483.000 No

First published in Sp. Pl.: 196 (1753)

Accepted by

  • Govaerts, R., Nic Lughadha, E., Black, N., Turner, R. & Paton, A. (2021). The World Checklist of Vascular Plants, a continuously updated resource for exploring global plant diversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-021-00997-6 Scientific Data 8: 215.

Literature

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Sp. Pl. 1: 196 (1753).

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • L., Gen. Pl., ed. 5: 90 (1754)
  • Mez in E.P. IV.236: 338 (1902)
  • Sp. Pl.: 196 (1753)

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    Flora Zambesiaca
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China

    The Malesian Key Group (2010) Interactive Key to Seed Plants of Malesia and Indo-China (Version 2.0, 28 Jul 2010) The Nationaal Herbarium Nederland Leiden and The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Neotropikey

    Milliken, W., Klitgard, B. and Baracat, A. (2009 onwards), Neotropikey - Interactive key and information resources for flowering plants of the Neotropics.
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0