e-Key <span id="jodit_selection_marker_1703149618560_03066985300881675" data-jodit_selection_marker="start" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>v3 - Myrt<span id="jodit_selection_marker_1703149618560_43771283763623847" data-jodit_selection_marker="end" style="line-height: 0; display: none;"></span>aceae
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Interactive keys to the identification of seed plants of southern Africa using keys based on plant morphology.

DICOTYLEDON - ROSIDAE - MYRTALES - Myrtaceae

Compiled by H.F. Glen & J.E. Victor

Description:

  • Trees or shrubs, rarely undershrubs or dwarf perennials from a woody rootstock
  • Leaves opposite or rarely alternate, simple, entire, gland-dotted; stipules 0 or very small
  • Flowers bisexual, regular, in cymes, heads, umbels, or corymbs, rarely solitary; bracts and bracteoles often present
  • Calyx 3-5-lobed or sometimes entire; tube (hypanthium) ± adnate to ovary, and sometimes extending beyond it
  • Petals 4 or 5 (6 or more), sometimes connate and all deciduous together, imbricate
  • Disc lining calyx tube or flat
  • Stamens many, in 1-many series, inflexed in bud, free or connate at base; filaments often thread-like; anthers small, 2-thecous, usually opening by lengthwise slits
  • Ovary inferior, sometimes half-superior, 2-many-locular, usually with many axile, anatropous to campylotropous ovules in each locule, rarely 1 or few; style simple; stigma capitate, entire, or sometimes 3- or 4-parted
  • Fruit a capsule or berry, wholly or partly enclosed in persistent calyx tube
  • Seeds 1-many; testa often woody and glandular

Nomenclature:

  • Myrtaceae
    • Sonder: 520 (1862)
    • Friedrich-Holzhammer: 1 (1966)
    • Proctor: 512 (1972)
    • George: 1 (1988)

Distribution & Notes:

  • Global: Genera 100-120, species 3 900, mainly tropical and subtropical Australia and South America
  • Southern Africa: Genera 9 (6 naturalised), species ± 34 (± 13 naturalised)

References:

  • FRIEDRICH-HOLZHAMMER, M. 1966. Myrtaceae. Prodromus einer Flora von Südwestafrika 97
  • GEORGE, A.S. 1988. Myrtaceae. Flora of Australia 19
  • PROCTOR, G.R. 1972. Myrtaceae. In C.D. Adams, Flowering plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica
  • SONDER, O.W. 1862. Myrtaceae. Flora capensis 2