Myrica

''Myrica'' is a genus of about 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs in the family Myricaceae, order Fagales. The genus has a wide distribution, including Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America, and missing only from Australia. Some botanists split the genus into two genera on the basis of the catkin and fruit structure, restricting ''Myrica'' to a few species, and treating the others in ''Morella''.Valérie Huguet, Manolo Gouy, Philippe Normand, Jeff F. Zimpfer, and Maria P. Fernandez. 2005. "Molecular phylogeny of Myricaceae: a reexamination of host-symbiont specificity". ''Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution'' 34(3):557–568.

Common names include bayberry, bay-rum tree, candleberry, sweet gale, and wax-myrtle. The generic name was derived from the Greek word μυρίκη (''myrike''), meaning "fragrance".

Characteristics

The species vary from 1m shrubs up to 20m trees; some are deciduous, but the majority of species are evergreen. The roots have nitrogen-fixing bacteria which enable the plants to grow on soils that are very poor in nitrogen content. The leaves are spirally arranged, simple, 2–12 cm long, oblanceolate with a tapered base and broader tip, and a crinkled or finely toothed margin. The flowers are catkins, with male and female catkins usually on separate plants (dioecious). The fruit is a small drupe, usually with a wax coating.

The type species, ''Myrica gale'', is holarctic in distribution, growing in acidic peat bogs throughout the colder parts of the Northern Hemisphere; it is a deciduous shrub growing to 1m tall. The remaining species all have relatively small ranges, and are mostly warm-temperate.

''Myrica faya'' (''Morella faya''), native to the volcanic islands of the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, has become an invasive species on the Hawaiian volcanoesWarren L. Wagner, Derral R. Herbst, and Sy H. Sohmer. ''Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii'', Revised Edition, 1999. Bishop Museum Press: Hololulu. where it was introduced in the 19th century; its ability to fix nitrogen makes it very well adapted to growing on low-nitrogen volcanic soils.

The wax coating on the fruit is indigestible for most birds, but a few species have adapted to be able to eat it, notably the yellow-rumped warbler and tree swallow in North America. As the wax is very energy-rich, this enables the yellow-rumped warbler to winter farther north in cooler climates than any other American warbler if bayberries are present. The seeds are then dispersed in the droppings of the birds.

''Myrica'' species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including brown-tail, emperor moth, and winter moth as well as the bucculatricid leaf-miners ''Bucculatrix cidarella'', ''B. myricae'' (feeds exclusively on ''M. gale'') and ''B. paroptila'' and the ''Coleophora'' case-bearers ''C. comptoniella'', ''C. pruniella'', and ''C. viminetella''.

Uses

Native Americans used bayberry medicinally. The root bark was pounded into powder and mixed with water to cure diarrhea. American pioneers sniffed the powder to counter nasal congestion. It was sometimes used in poultices.

The wax coating on the fruit of several species, known as bayberry wax, has been used traditionally to make candles. It was used for that purpose by the Robinson family in the novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson''. The foliage of ''Myrica gale'' is a traditional insect repellent, used by campers to keep biting insects out of tents. Several species are also grown as ornamental plants in gardens. The fruit of ''Myrica rubra'' is an economically important crop in China, sold fresh, dried, canned, for juice, for flavoring in snacks, and for alcoholic beverages. Myrica is used to spice beer and snaps in Denmark.

The leaves can add flavor to soups and broths. They can be dried and stored in jars to be used as a spice.

Species

''Myrica'' comprises the following species:

*''Myrica adenophora'' Hance
*'' Myrica arborea'' Hutch.
*'' Myrica brevifolia'' E. Mey. ex C. DC.
*'' Myrica cacuminis'' Britton & P.Wilson
*''Myrica californica'' Cham. & Schltdl. – California bayberry
*'' Myrica caroliniensis'' Mill. southern bayberry
*''Myrica cerifera'' L. – wax-myrtle, southern wax-myrtle
*'' Myrica chevalieri'' (Parra-Os.) Christenh. & Byng
*'' Myrica chimanimaniana'' (Verdc. & Polhill) Christenh. & Byng
*'' Myrica cordifolia'' L.
*'' Myrica dentulata'' Baill.
*''Myrica diversifolia'' Adamson
*''Myrica esculenta'' Buch.-Ham. ex D.Don
*''Myrica faya'' Aiton – faya bayberry
*'' Myrica funckii'' A.Chev.
*''Myrica gale'' L. – sweet gale or bog-myrtle
*'' Myrica goetzei'' Engl.
*'' Myrica hartwegii'' S.Watson – Sierra bayberry
*'' Myrica heterophylla'' Raf.
*'' Myrica holdridgeana'' Lundell
*''Myrica humilis'' Cham.
*''Myrica inodora'' W.Bartram – scentless bayberry
*''Myrica integra'' (A.Chev.) Killick
*''Myrica integrifolia'' Roxb.
*'' Myrica interrupta'' Benth.
*''Myrica javanica'' Blume
*''Myrica kandtiana'' Engl.
*'' Myrica kilimandscharica'' Engl.
*'' Myrica kraussiana'' Buchinger ex Meisn.
*'' Myrica lindeniana'' C.DC.
*'' Myrica meyeri-johannis'' Engl.
*'' Myrica microbracteata'' Weim.
*'' Myrica mildbraedii'' Engl.
*''Myrica nana'' A.Chev.
*'' Myrica parvifolia'' Benth.
*'' Myrica pavonis'' C.DC.
*''Myrica pensylvanica'' Mirb. – northern bayberry
*''Myrica phanerodonta'' Standl.
*''Myrica picardae'' Krug & Urb.
*'' Myrica pilulifera'' Rendle
*'' Myrica pringlei'' Greenm.
*'' Myrica pubescens'' Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.
*'' Myrica punctata'' Griseb.
*'' Myrica quercifolia'' L.
*'' Myrica rotundata'' Steyerm. & Maguire
*''Myrica rubra'' Siebold & Zucc. – ''yang mei'', Chinese bayberry, yumberry
*'' Myrica salicifolia'' Hochst. ex A.Rich.
*'' Myrica serrata'' Lam.
*'' Myrica shaferi'' Urb. & Britton
*'' Myrica singularis'' Parra-Os.
*''Myrica spathulata'' Mirb.

Species names with uncertain taxonomic status

The status of the following species and hybrids is unresolved:

* ''Morella × macfarlanei'' (Youngken) Kartesz
* ''Morella pumila'' Small
* ''Myrica aethiopica'' L.
* ''Myrica alaternoides'' Crantz
* ''Myrica algarbiensis'' Gand.
* ''Myrica altera'' C.DC.
* ''Myrica apiculata'' Urb. & Ekman
* ''Myrica arabica'' Willd.
* ''Myrica auriculata'' Ridl.
* ''Myrica australasica'' F.Muell.
* ''Myrica banksiifolia'' J.C.Wendl.
* ''Myrica bojeriana'' Baker
* ''Myrica'' × ''burbankii'' A.Chev.
* ''Myrica burmannii'' E. Mey. ex C. Dc.
* ''Myrica capensis'' Steud.
* ''Myrica carolenensis'' A.Rich.
* ''Myrica caroliniana'' Ettingsh.
* ''Myrica conifera'' Burm.f.
* ''Myrica domingana'' C.DC.
* ''Myrica dregeana'' A.Chev.
* ''Myrica elliptica'' A.Chev.
* ''Myrica esquirolii'' H.Lév.
* ''Myrica fallax'' DC.
* ''Myrica florida'' Regel
* ''Myrica fuscata'' Raf.
* ''Myrica glabrissima'' A.Chev.
* ''Myrica hirsuta'' Mill.
* ''Myrica holtzii'' Engl. & Brehmer
* ''Myrica humbertii'' Staner & Lebrun
* ''Myrica ilicifolia'' Burm.f.
* ''Myrica jamaicensis'' R.A.Howard & Proctor
* ''Myrica laciniata'' Willd.
* ''Myrica latiloba'' Heer
* ''Myrica lobbii'' Teijsm. & Binn. ex Miq.
* ''Myrica longifolia'' Teijsm. & Binn. ex C.DC.
* ''Myrica macrophylla'' Mirb.
* ''Myrica microcarpa'' Benth.
* ''Myrica microstachya'' Krug & Urb.
* ''Myrica montana'' Vahl
* ''Myrica mossii'' Burtt Davy
* ''Myrica myrtifolia'' A.Chev.
* ''Myrica nagi'' Thunb.
* ''Myrica natalensis'' C.DC.
* ''Myrica oligadenia'' Peter
* ''Myrica ovata'' H.L.Wendl.
* ''Myrica pusilla'' Raf.
* ''Myrica reticulata'' Krug & Urb.
* '' Myrica rivas-martinezii'' A.Santos
* ''Myrica rogersii'' Burtt Davy
* ''Myrica roraimae'' Oliv.
* ''Myrica rothmaleriana'' P.Silva
* ''Myrica rotundifolia'' Salisb.
* ''Myrica tomentosa'' Asch. & Graebn.
* ''Myrica trifoliata'' Turpin
* ''Myrica trifoliata'' L.
* ''Myrica trifoliolata'' DC.
* ''Myrica undulata'' Raf.
* ''Myrica usambarensis'' Engl.
* ''Myrica verrucosa'' Raf.
* ''Myrica vidaliana'' Rolfe

Formerly placed here

*''Balakata luzonica'' (as ''M. luzonica'' S.Vidal)''Balakata''.
Malesian Euphorbiaceae Descriptions. National Herbarium Nederland.
*''Comptonia peregrina'' (L.) J.M.Coult. (as ''M. aspleniifolia'' L.)
*''Nageia nagi'' (Thunb.) Kuntze (as ''M. nagi'' Thunb.)

References

External links

Flora Europaea: ''Myrica''Flora of China: ''Myrica''Flora of North America: ''Myrica''Trees and shrubs of Ecuador: ''Myrica''Monograph on the medicinal and clinical uses of ''Myrica cerifera''

{{Authority control

Fagales genera
Dioecious plants