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.^[2] It is found nearly worldwide, primarily in tropical and subtropical areas. It contains over 280 species,^[1] including several notable radiations, such as the matipo of New Zealand and the kōlea of Hawaiʻi (the New Zealand "black matipo", Pittosporum tenuifolium, is not related to Myrsine). In the United States, members of this genus are known as colicwood. Some species, especially M. africana, are grown as ornamental shrubs.

Myrsine
Myrsine alyxifolia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Primulaceae
Subfamily:	Myrsinoideae
Genus:	Myrsine L. (1753)
Species[1]
282; see text
Synonyms[1]
Anamtia Koidz. (1923) Athruphyllum Lour. (1790) Caballeria Ruiz & Pav. (1794) Duhamelia Dombey ex Lam. (1783) Fialaris Raf. (1838) Heurlinia Raf. (1838) Hunsteinia Lauterb. (1918) Manglilla Juss. (1789) Merista Banks & Sol. ex A.Cunn. (1839) Pilogyne Gagnep. (1948), nom. illeg. Plotia Adans. in Fam. Pl. 2: 226 (1763) Rapanea Aubl. in Hist. Pl. Guiane: 121 (1775) Scleroxylum Willd. (1809) Suttonia A.Rich. (1832)

The leathery, evergreen leaves are simple and alternate, with smooth or toothed margins and without stipules. The one-seeded, indehiscent fruit is a thin-fleshed globose drupe. The flowers and fruits often do not develop until after leaf fall and thus appear naked on the branches. The fruits often do not mature until the year after flowering. The calyx is persistent.

The Pacific basin and New World species formerly separated in the genera Rapanea and Suttonia (distinguished from the African and Southeast Asian Myrsine sensu stricto by having the style absent and staminal tube and filaments completely adnate to the corolla) are now generally included in Myrsine.^[3]

Species

Main article: List of Myrsine species

282 species are currently accepted.^[1]

Hawaiian species

Hawaiian native species include:^[4]

• Myrsine degeneri Hosaka (Oʻahu in Hawaiʻi)
• Myrsine denticulata (Wawra) Hosaka (Kauai)
• Myrsine fernseei (Mez) Hosaka (Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi)
• Myrsine fosbergii Hosaka (Oʻahu and Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi)
• Myrsine helleri (O.Deg. & I.Deg.) H.St.John
• Myrsine juddii Hosaka
• Myrsine kauaiensis Hillebr.
• Myrsine knudsenii (Rock) Hosaka (Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi)
• Myrsine lanaiensis Hillebr.
• Myrsine lessertiana A.DC. – Kōlea lau nui (Hawaiʻi)^[5]
• Myrsine linearifolia Hosaka
• Myrsine mezii Hosaka (Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi)
• Myrsine petiolata Hosaka (Kauaʻi in Hawaiʻi)
• Myrsine pukooensis (H.Lév.) Hosaka
• Myrsine punctata (H.Lév.) Wilbur
• Myrsine sandwicensis A.DC. – Kōlea lau liʻi (Hawaiʻi)^[6]
• Myrsine vaccinioides W.L.Wagner, D.R.Herbst & Sohmer
• Myrsine wawrae (Mez) Hosaka

Other selected species

• Myrsine adamsonii Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine africana L. (Africa, Southern Asia and the Azores)
• Myrsine andersonii Fosbert & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine aquilonia de Lange & Heenan (North Island of New Zealand)
• Myrsine argentea Heenan & de Lange (South Island of New Zealand)
• Myrsine australis – Red matipo, mapou (New Zealand)
• Myrsine borneensis Scheff. (Borneo)
• Myrsine brownii Fosbert & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine bullata Pipoly (Peru)
• Myrsine ceylanica (Mez) Wadhwa (Sri Lanka)
• Myrsine cheesemanii (Mez) Hemsl. ex Prain (Cook Islands)
• Myrsine collina Nadeaud (Society Islands)
• Myrsine cubana A.DC. (Caribbean, Central America, southern Mexico, and Florida)
• Myrsine diazii Pipoly (Peru)
• Myrsine divaricata Cunn (New Zealand)
• Myrsine falcata Nadeaud (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine fasciculata (J.Moore) Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine fusca (J.Moore) Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine gracilissima Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine hartii (M.L.Grant) Fosberg & Sachet (Society Islands)
• Myrsine hosakae H.St.John (Pitcairn Islands)
• Myrsine howittiana (F.Muell. ex Mez) Jackes (Eastern Australia)
• Myrsine juergensenii (Mez) Ricketson & Pipoly (Mexico and Central America)
• Myrsine kermadecensis Cheeseman (Kermadec Islands)
• Myrsine laetevirens (Mez) Arechav. (subtropical South America)
• Myrsine longifolia Nadeaud (Tahiti)
• Myrsine mccomishii (Sprague) Jackes (Lord Howe Island)
• Myrsine melanophloeos (L.) R.Br. ex Sweet (sub-Saharan Africa)
• Myrsine myrtillina (Mez) Jackes (Lord Howe Island)
• Myrsine naiuensis Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine nukuhivensis Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine obovata (J.Moore) Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine oliveri Allan (New Zealand)
• Myrsine orohenensis (J.Moore) Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine pearcei (Mez) Pipoly (Peru)
• Myrsine perakensis King & Gamble (Peninsular Malaysia)
• Myrsine platystigma F.Muell. (Lord Howe Island)
• Myrsine raiateensis (J.Moore) Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine rapensis (F.Brown) Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine reynelii Pipoly (Peru)
• Myrsine richmondensis Jackes (Australia)
• Myrsine rivularis (Mez) Pipoly (Peru)
• Myrsine ronuiensis (M.Grant) Fosberg & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine salicina (Hook.f.) Heward ex Hook.f. (New Zealand)
• Myrsine seychellarum (Mez) Ricketson & Pipoly (Seychelles)
• Myrsine sodiroana (Mez) Pipoly (Ecuador)
• Myrsine striata (Mez) Ricketson & Pipoly (southwestern India)
• Myrsine tahuatensis Fosbert & Sachet (French Polynesia)
• Myrsine umbricola Heenan & de Lange (North Island of New Zealand)
• Myrsine variabilis R.Br. (eastern Australia)