Myristica

Myristica is a genus of trees in the family Myristicaceae. There are over 150 species, distributed in Asia and the western Pacific as far as Vanuatu.[1][2]

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

## Contents

* 1 Etymology
* 2 Description
* 3 Selected species
* 4 References

## 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 μύρον 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

Main article: List of Myristica species

There are 172 accepted Myristica species as of April 2021 according to Plants of the World Online.[7] Selected species include:

* Myristica alba W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica andamanica Hook.f.
* Myristica arfakensis W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica argentea Warb.
* Myristica atrescens W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica basilanica W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica beddomei King
* Myristica brachypoda W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica brevistipes W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica buchneriana Warb.
* Myristica byssacea W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica ceylanica A.DC.
* Myristica cinnamomea King
* Myristica coacta W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica colinridsdalei W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica conspersa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica corticata W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica crassa King
* Myristica dactyloides Gaertn.
* Myristica dasycarpa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica depressa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica devogelii W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica elliptica Wall. ex Hook.f. & Thomson
* Myristica extensa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica fasciculata W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica filipes W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica fissurata W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica flavovirens W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica fragrans Houtt.
* Myristica frugifera W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica gigantea King
* Myristica gillespieana A.C.Sm.
* Myristica globosa Warb.
* Myristica grandifolia A.DC.
* Myristica guadalcanalensis W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica guatteriifolia A.DC.
* Myristica guillauminiana A.C.Sm.
* Myristica hollrungii Warb.
* Myristica inaequalis W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica incredibilis W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica iners Blume
* Myristica inundata W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica kalkmanii W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica kjellbergii W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica lasiocarpa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica lepidota Blume
* Myristica leptophylla W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica lowiana King
* Myristica macrantha A.C.Sm.
* Myristica magnifica Bedd.
* Myristica maingayi Hook.f.
* Myristica malabarica Lam.
* Myristica maxima Warb.
* Myristica mediterranea W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica millepunctata W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica nana W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica olivacea W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica ornata W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica ovicarpa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica pachycarpidia W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica papillatifolia W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica perlaevis W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica petiolata A.C.Sm.
* Myristica philippensis Lam.
* Myristica pilosella W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica pilosigemma W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica psilocarpa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica pubicarpa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica pygmaea W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica robusta W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica sangowoensis (J.Sinclair) W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica sarcantha W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica schlechteri W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica simulans W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica sinclairii W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica sogeriensis W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica tamrauensis W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica trianthera W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica tubiflora Blume
* Myristica ultrabasica W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica verruculosa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica xylocarpa W.J.de Wilde
* Myristica yunnanensis Y.H.Li

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:

* M. ampliata
* M. irya
* M. polyantha
* M. succadanea
* M. teijsmannii

## References

1. ↑ Myristica. Flora of China.
2. ↑ Wheatley, J.I. (1992), A guide to the common trees of Vanuatu: With lists of their traditional uses and ni-Vanuatu names, Republic of Vanuatu Department of Forestry, pp. 172-4
3. ↑ Washburn, Homer Charles; Blome, Walter Henry (1936). A Text-book on Pharmacognosy. Edward Letter. p. 77. https://books.google.com/books?id=O9jnAAAAMAAJ. "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. https://books.google.com/books?id=-37OBQAAQBAJ&pg=PA2596. "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
7. ↑ "Myristica Gronov.". Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:331788-2.

* Data related to Myristica at Wikispecies

Wikidata ☰ Q1878350 entry

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