Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All species are woody, contain essential oils, and have flower parts in multiples of four or five. The leaves are evergreen, alternate to mostly opposite, simple, and usually entire. The flowers have a base number of five petals, though in several genera, the petals are minute or absent. The stamens are usually very conspicuous, brightly coloured, and numerous.
Ironwood is a common name for many woods that have a reputation for hardness, or specifically a wood density that is denser than water, although usage of the name ironwood in English may or may not indicate a tree that yields such heavy wood.
Citral is an acyclic monoterpene aldehyde. Being a monoterpene, it is made of two isoprene units. Citral is a collective term which covers two geometric isomers that have their own separate names; the E-isomer is named geranial or citral A. The Z-isomer is named neral or citral B. These stereoisomers occur as a mixture, often not in equal proportions; e.g. in essential oil of Australian ginger, the neral to geranial ratio is 0.61.
Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants that belongs to the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. The genus comprises about 1200 species, and has a native range that extends from Africa and Madagascar through southern Asia east through the Pacific. Its highest levels of diversity occur from Malaysia to northeastern Australia, where many species are very poorly known and many more have not been described taxonomically. One indication of this diversity is in leaf size, ranging from as little as a half inch to as great as 4 ft 11 inches by sixteen inches in Syzygium acre of New Caledonia.
Backhousia citriodora, commonly known as lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle or lemon scented ironwood, is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae. It is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensland, Australia, with a natural distribution from Mackay to Brisbane.
Acmena was formerly the name of a genus of shrubs and trees in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. The genus was first formally described in 1828 by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle in his Prodromus Systematis Naturalis Regni Vegetabilis.
Syncarpia is a small group of trees in the myrtle family (Myrtaceae) described as a genus in 1839. They are native to Queensland and New South Wales in Australia.
Homoranthus is a genus of about thirty species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and all are endemic to Australia. Plants in this genus share similarities with those in both Darwinia and Verticordia. They are shrubs with their leaves arranged in opposite pairs and with flowers appearing either singly or in small groups, usually in upper leaf axils. They are found in Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia. The genus was first described in 1836. None of the species is common nor are they well-known in horticulture.
Syzygium anisatum, with common names ringwood and aniseed tree, is a rare Australian rainforest tree with an aromatic leaf that has an essential oil profile comparable to true aniseed.
Backhousia myrtifolia is a small rainforest tree species which grows in subtropical rainforests of Eastern Australia. First discovered and subsequently used by the indigenous communities of Australia, this plant produces oils that have a cinnamon-like aroma, and display both anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. Therefore, it has potential applications as not only a spice in food preparation, but also in the medical field as a treatment option for microbial infection. Backhousia myrtifolia can grow up to 30 metres. The leaves are ovate or elliptic, 4–7 cm long, and the flowers star-shaped in appearance.
Calytrix is a genus of about 83 species of flowering plants, commonly known as star flowers, in the family Myrtaceae and is endemic to Australia. Plants in the genus Calytrix are small to large shrubs with small, spreading and more or less round leaves, the flowers arranged singly in leaf axils. The flowers are bisexual with 5 overlapping sepals with a long awn, and many stamens.
Backhousia subargentea is a rare Australian rainforest tree, growing near Mullumbimby in northeastern New South Wales and from Boonah to Imbil in southeastern Queensland.
Lyndley Alan Craven was a botanist who became the Principal Research Scientist of the Australian National Herbarium.
Melaleuca nematophylla, commonly known as wiry honey-myrtle is a plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae and is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia. It is one of the showiest melaleucas when in flower in early spring, is easily grown and has unusual needle-like foliage. As a result, it is relatively common in cultivation in temperate parts of Australia.
Homoranthus decumbens is a plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae and is endemic to a small area in Queensland. It is a low, spreading shrub with cylindrical leaves arranged in alternating opposite pairs. The flowers are yellowish green and arranged singly in upper leaf axils.
Backhousia oligantha is a rare species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. Mostly found in south eastern Queensland. The small tree has an unusual growth habit, with colonies of many prostrate shoots and many stems from one genotype. At the type location, there are 100 to 200 stems in six clumps, possibly with only six unique individuals. The epithet oligantha is derived from the Greek language, meaning 'few flowers'.
Syzygium maraca is a plant in the clove family Myrtaceae found only in the Wet Tropics bioregion of Queensland, Australia. It was first described in 2005 and has been given the conservation status of least concern. It has an affinity with Syzygium alliiligneum.
