Myrsinoideae is a subfamily of the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Primulaceae The Primulaceae , commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the Onagraceae, evening primrose family), are a family (biology), family of Herbaceous plant, herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favourite garden plants ...

in the order

Ericales The Ericales are a large and diverse order of dicotyledons. Species in this order have considerable commercial importance including for Camellia sinensis, tea, persimmon, blueberry, kiwifruit, Brazil nuts, Argania, argan, and azalea. The order i ...

. It was formerly recognized as the family Myrsinaceae, or the myrsine family, consisting of 35 genera and about 1000 species. It is widespread in temperate to tropical climates extending north to

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

, and

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

, and south to

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...

, and

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. Plants are mostly

mesophytic Mesophytes are terrestrial plants which are neither adapted to particularly dry nor particularly wet environments. An example of a mesophytic habitat would be a rural temperate meadow, which might contain Solidago, goldenrod, Trifolium, clover, Leuc ...

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s and

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

s; a few are

liana A liana is a long- stemmed, woody vine that is rooted in the soil at ground level and uses trees, as well as other means of vertical support, to climb up to the canopy in search of direct sunlight. The word ''liana'' does not refer to a ta ...

s or subherbaceous. Their leathery,

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, which ...

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

are

simple Simple or SIMPLE may refer to: *Simplicity, the state or quality of being simple Arts and entertainment * ''Simple'' (album), by Andy Yorke, 2008, and its title track * "Simple" (Florida Georgia Line song), 2018 * "Simple", a song by Johnn ...

and

alternate Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

, with smooth margins and without

stipule In botany, a stipule is an outgrowth typically borne on both sides (sometimes on just one side) of the base of a leafstalk (the petiole). Stipules are considered part of the anatomy of the leaf of a typical flowering plant, although in many speci ...

s. They are often dotted with glands and resinous cavities. The latter may take the form of secretory lines. The plants are mostly

monoecious Monoecy (; adj. monoecious ) is a sexual system in seed plants where separate male and female cones or flowers are present on the same plant. It is a monomorphic sexual system alongside gynomonoecy, andromonoecy and trimonoecy. Monoecy is conne ...

, but a few are

dioecious Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

. Their small

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are arranged in

racemose A raceme ( or ) or racemoid is an unbranched, indeterminate type of inflorescence bearing flowers having short floral stalks along the shoots that bear the flowers. The oldest flowers grow close to the base and new flowers are produced as the s ...

terminal clusters, or in the leaf axils. The flowers have four or five

sepal A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...

s and

petal Petals are modified Leaf, leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They are often advertising coloration, brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. All of the petals of a flower are collectively known as the ''c ...

s. The floral envelope (

perianth The perianth (perigonium, perigon or perigone in monocots) is the non-reproductive part of the flower, and structure that forms an envelope surrounding the sexual organs, consisting of the calyx (sepals) and the corolla (petals) or tepals when ...

) has a distinct calyx and corolla. The calyx is regular and polysepalous. The nonfleshy petals of the corolla are more or less united, closely overlapping. The four or five

stamen The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10 Morphology and terminology A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filame ...

s are usually isomerous with the perianth. The

carpel Gynoecium (; ) is most commonly used as a collective term for the parts of a flower that produce ovules and ultimately develop into the fruit and seeds. The gynoecium is the innermost whorl of a flower; it consists of (one or more) ''pistils'' ...

has one

style Style is a manner of doing or presenting things and may refer to: * Architectural style, the features that make a building or structure historically identifiable * Design, the process of creating something * Fashion, a prevailing mode of clothing ...

and one stigma, with the

ovary The ovary is an organ in the female reproductive system that produces an ovum. When released, this travels down the fallopian tube into the uterus, where it may become fertilized by a sperm. There is an ovary () found on each side of the body. ...

unilocular A locule (plural locules) or loculus (plural loculi) (meaning "little place" in Latin) is a small cavity or compartment within an organ or part of an organism (animal, plant, or fungus). In angiosperms (flowering plants), the term ''locule'' usu ...

, superior or semi-inferior. The one-seeded,

indehiscent Dehiscence is the splitting of a mature plant structure along a built-in line of weakness to release its contents. This is common among fruits, anthers and sporangia. Sometimes this involves the complete detachment of a part; structures that op ...

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a thin-fleshed

berry A berry is a small, pulpy, and often edible fruit. Typically, berries are juicy, rounded, brightly colored, sweet, sour or tart, and do not have a stone or pit, although many pips or seeds may be present. Common examples are strawberries, raspb ...

drupe In botany, a drupe (or stone fruit) is an indehiscent fruit in which an outer fleshy part (exocarp, or skin, and mesocarp, or flesh) surrounds a single shell (the ''pit'', ''stone'', or '' pyrena'') of hardened endocarp with a seed (''kernel'') ...

. North American species are the marlberry (''Ardisia escalloniodes'') and the Florida

rapanea ''Rapanea'' is a genus of plant in family Primulaceae. It has often been placed in synonymy with '' Myrsine'', and many species have been moved to ''Myrsine''. , Plants of the World Online does not accept the genus, regarding it as a synonym of ' ...

(''Rapanea punctata''). Plants in the subfamily have few economic uses. A few genera, such as ''

Ardisia ''Ardisia'' (coralberry or marlberry) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was in the former Myrsinaceae family now recognised as the myrsine sub-family Myrsinoideae. They are distributed in the Americas, Asia, Australia, ...

'', ''

Cyclamen ''Cyclamen'' ( or ) is a genus of 23 species of perennial flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. ''Cyclamen'' species are native to Europe and the Mediterranean Basin east to the Caucasus and Iran, with one species in Somalia. They gro ...

'', ''

Lysimachia ''Lysimachia'' () is a genus consisting of 193 accepted species of flowering plants traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study it was transferred to the family Myrsinaceae, before this family wa ...

'', and ''

Myrsine ''Myrsine'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was formerly placed in the family Myrsinaceae before this was merged into the Primulaceae. It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. It con ...

'', are grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...

s, especially ''Ardisia crispa'' and ''Myrsine africana''. One species, ''

Ardisia japonica ''Ardisia japonica'', known as marlberry, is a species of ''Ardisia'' native to eastern Asia, in eastern China, Japan and Korea.Flora of China''Ardisia japonica''/ref> Growth It is a low-growing, spreading very quickly evergreen shrub 20–40& ...

'' (Chinese: 紫金牛; pinyin: ''zǐjīn niú''), is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. It has been described as "fraught with pseudoscience", with the majority of its treatments having no logical mechanism of action ...

. In the APG III system and onwards, the Myrsinaceae were not recognized, but were sunk into

, which in that system is

circumscribed In geometry, the circumscribed circle or circumcircle of a polygon is a circle that passes through all the vertices of the polygon. The center of this circle is called the circumcenter and its radius is called the circumradius. Not every polyg ...

very broadly.

Genera

*''

Aegiceras ''Aegiceras '' is a genus of trees and shrubs from Southeast Asia, Malesia, Australia and the Pacific Island,. and in Australia, in the Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, and Western Australia. They occur as mangroves in coastal ...

'' *'' Amblyanthopsis'' *'' Amblyanthus'' *'' Anagallis'' *''

Antistrophe Antistrophe ( grc, ἀντιστροφή, "a turning back") is the portion of an ode sung by the chorus in its returning movement from west to east, in response to the strophe, which was sung from east to west. Characteristics Usage as a lit ...

'' *''

'' *'' Asterolinon'' (should be included into the ''Anagallis'' clade) *''

Badula ''Badula'' is a small genus of 14-17 species of tropical shrubs placed formerly in the plant family Myrsinaceae (now subsumed in Primulaceae as subfamily Myrsinoideae) endemic to Madagascar and the Mascarene Islands. Liste d'espèces Mascare ...

'' *'' Conandrium'' *'' Coris'' *'' Ctenardisia'' *'' Cybianthus'' *''

'' *'' Discocalyx'' *'' Elingamita'' *''

Embelia ''Embelia'' is a genus of climbing shrubs once placed in the family Myrsinaceae, which is now included in the Primulaceae. There are about 130 species which occur in tropical and subtropical areas across a wide range including Africa and Madag ...

'' *'' Emblemantha'' *'' Fittingia'' *'' Geissanthus'' *'' Glaux'' (should be included into the clade'' Lysimachia'') *''

Heberdenia ''Heberdenia'' is a genus of plant in the family Primulaceae The Primulaceae , commonly known as the primrose family (but not related to the evening primrose family), are a family of herbaceous and woody flowering plants including some favou ...

'' *''

Hymenandra ''Hymenandra'' is a genus of flowering plants belonging to the family Primulaceae. Its native range is Assam to Southern Central China and Western Malesia, Central America to Colombia. Species: *''Hymenandra acutissima'' *''Hymenandra beamani ...

'' *'' Labisia'' *'' Loheria'' *''

'' *''

Maesa ''Maesa'' is a genus of flowering plants. It is placed in the family Primulaceae, subfamily Maesoideae, for which it is the sole genus (monotypic).

'' *'' Monoporus'' *''

'' *'' Oncostemum'' *'' Parathesis'' *'' Pelletiera'' (should be included into the'' Anagallis clade'') *'' Pleiomeris'' *''

Rapanea ''Rapanea'' is a genus of plant in family Primulaceae. It has often been placed in synonymy with '' Myrsine'', and many species have been moved to ''Myrsine''. , Plants of the World Online does not accept the genus, regarding it as a synonym of ' ...

'' *'' Sadiria'' *'' Solonia'' *'' Stylogyne'' *''

Tapeinosperma ''Tapeinosperma'' is a genus of plants in the family Primulaceae (formerly Myrsinaceae). It occurs in Australia, New Guinea, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Fiji Fiji ( , ,; fj, Viti, ; Fiji Hindi: फ़िजी, ''Fijī''), officially the ...

'' *''

Trientalis ''Lysimachia'' () is a genus consisting of 193 accepted species of flowering plants traditionally classified in the family Primulaceae. Based on a molecular phylogenetic study it was transferred to the family Myrsinaceae, before this family was ...

'' *'' Tetrardisia'' *'' Vegaea'' *''

Wallenia ''Wallenia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae endemic to the West Indies. Species *'' Wallenia apiculata'' *'' Wallenia aquifolia'' *'' Wallenia bumelioides'' *'' Wallenia calyptrata'' *'' Wallenia clusioides'' *'' ...

'' The following genera, traditionally categorized in

''sensu lato'', should, according to Källersjö et al. (2000), belong to the Myrsinoideae (the clade of Myrsinaceae ''s. l.''): ''Anagallis'', ''Ardisiandra'', ''Asterolinon'', ''Coris'', ''Cyclamen'', ''Glaux'', ''Lysimachia'', ''Pelletiera '' and ''Trientalis''.

References

* * * {{Authority control Plant subfamilies Primulaceae