Myristica

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Myristica
Myristica fragrans - Kohler-s Medizinal-Pflanzen-097.jpg
Myristica fragrans
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Magnoliids
Order: Magnoliales
Family: Myristicaceae
Genus: Myristica
Gronov.
Species

>150; see text

Synonyms [1]
  • AruanaBurm.f.
  • ComacumAdans.
  • PalalaRumph. ex Kuntze
  • SebophoraNeck.

Myristica is a genus of trees in the family Myristicaceae. There are over 150 species, distributed in Asia and the western Pacific. [2]

Contents

The type species of the genus, and the most economically important member, is Myristica fragrans (the nutmeg tree), from which mace is also derived.

Etymology

The name Myristica is from the Greek adjective myristikos, meaning ‘fragrant, for anointing’, referring to its early use. [3] The adjective is from the noun myron (‘perfume, ointment, anointing oil’). [4]

Description

All or nearly all species are dioecious. Knuth (1904) however cites a report of trees being male in their sex expression when young and female later. [5] Perianth of one whorl of three largely united segments. Stamens two to thirty, partly or wholly united. The ovary is superior, consisting of a single uniovulate carpel. [6] Species in this genus use secondary pollen presentation (pollen presentation in the flower which does not use an anther), the type of which is Pollenhaufen (German for ‘pollen-heap’), where pollen is in an exposed heap at the base of the flower.

Selected species

There are 171 accepted Myristica species as of April 2021 according to Plants of the World Online. [1] Selected species include:

Some species of Myristica have been reclassified into the genus Virola by some botanical authorities. Taxa that have been reassigned, or otherwise removed from the genus include:

Related Research Articles

<i>Virola</i> Genus of plants

Virola is a genus of medium-sized trees native to the South American rainforest and closely related to other Myristicaceae, such as nutmeg. Species are known commonly as epená, patricá, or cumala. They have glossy, dark green leaves and clusters of tiny yellow flowers, and may emit a pungent odor.

<i>Adenia</i> Genus of plants

Adenia is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. The centers of diversity are in Madagascar, eastern and western tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. The genus name Adenia comes from "aden", reported as the Arabic name for the plant by Peter Forsskål, the author of the genus.

<i>Cissus</i> Genus of grapevines

Cissus is a genus of approximately 350 species of lianas in the grape family (Vitaceae). They have a cosmopolitan distribution, though the majority are to be found in the tropics.

<i>Macaranga</i> Genus of tropic trees

Macaranga is a large genus of Old World tropical trees of the family Euphorbiaceae and the only genus in the subtribe Macaranginae. Native to Africa, Australasia, Asia and various islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the genus comprises over 300 different species. It was first described as a genus in 1806, based on specimens collected on the Island of Mauritius.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myristicaceae</span> Family of flowering plants

The Myristicaceae are a family of flowering plants native to Africa, Asia, Pacific islands, and the Americas and has been recognized by most taxonomists. It is sometimes called the "nutmeg family", after its most famous member, Myristica fragrans, the source of the spices nutmeg and mace. The best known genera are Myristica in Asia and Virola in the Neotropics.

<i>Hydnocarpus</i> Genus of flowering plants

Hydnocarpus is a genus of medium to large trees in the Family Achariaceae; the genus was previously placed in the now defunct family Flacourtiaceae. Species have been recorded from Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Dischidia is a genus of plants in the “dog-bane” family Apocynaceae, collectively known as the “milkweeds”. They are epiphytes, native to tropical areas of China, India as well as Bhutan’s southern borders, wherever minimal frost occurs. Additionally, they are known from most areas of Indo-China, including forested areas of Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and some parts of Malaysia and Singapore.

<i>Horsfieldia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Horsfieldia is a genus of evergreen trees. The genus consists of about 100 species and is distributed across South Asia, from India to the Philippines and Papua New Guinea. Some species are used for timber. Species in the genus sometimes contain alkaloids, including horsfiline, which has analgesic effects.

<i>Knema</i> Genus of trees

Knema is a genus of plant in family Myristicaceae, mostly consisting of small-medium trees found in lowland tropical forests from south and northeast of India, Indochina, Malay Archipelago to near the tip of New Guinea. The highest diversity of species is in Borneo in west of Malesia.

<i>Myristica globosa</i> Species of plant in the family Myristicaceae

Myristica globosa is a species of plant in the family Myristicaceae. It is found in parts of Melanesia and Australia.

<i>Polyalthia</i> Genus of flowering plants

Polyalthia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Annonaceae. There are approximately 90 species distributed from Africa to Asia and the Pacific.

<i>Xanthophyllum</i> Genus of trees and shrubs (Polygalaceae)

Xanthophyllum is a genus of about 109 species of trees and shrubs, of the plant family Polygalaceae;. The generic name is from the Greek meaning "yellow leaf", referring to how the leaves are often yellow when dry. In Borneo it is known as minyak berok in Malay or nyalin in the Iban language.

<i>Schoenorchis</i> Genus of orchids

Schoenorchis, commonly known as flea orchids, or 匙唇兰属 in Chinese, is a genus of flowering plants from the orchid family, Orchidaceae. Plants in this genus are small epiphytes with thin roots, thin leafy stems with leaves in two ranks and tiny fragrant, almost tube-shaped flowers with a prominently spurred labellum. There are about twenty five species found from tropical and subtropical Asia to the Western Pacific.

<i>Myristica lepidota</i> Tree in the Myristicaceae from the Moluccas and New Guinea

Myristica lepidota is a species of tree in the family Myristicaceae. It is found in E Moluccas and W & SW New Guinea. There are two subspecies contained within:

References

  1. 1 2 "Myristica Gronov". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  2. Myristica. Flora of China.
  3. Washburn, Homer Charles; Blome, Walter Henry (1936). A Text-book on Pharmacognosy. Edward Letter. p. 77. Myristica, from the Greek "myristikos," of or pertaining to ointments, so named because of its early use as a flavoring for this type of preparations.
  4. Quattrocchi, Umberto (2016). CRC World Dictionary of Medicinal and Poisonous Plants. CRC Press. p. 2596. ISBN   978-1-4822-5064-0. Myristica[...] From the Greek myristikos 'fragrant, fit for anointing', myron 'a perfume, ointment, scent, sweet smelling, sweet oil', myrizo, myrizein 'to rub with ointment'
  5. KNUTH, P., 1904, 1905: Handbuch der Bliitenbiologie 3(1 & 2), (ed. O. ApPEL & E. LOEw) [not translated]. - Leipzig: Engelmann.
  6. Secondary Pollen Presentation. page 7. Peter Yeo 1993