Myrica
bayberry, myrique, sweet gale, wax-myrtle
spreading, terete, glabrous or pubescent, often gland-dotted.
blade aromatic when crushed (except M. inodora), oblanceolate, elliptic, obovate, or oblong-ovate, membranous or leathery, margins entire or serrate-denticulate, especially in distal 1/2, pubescent or glabrous, usually gland-dotted.
± erect, ellipsoid to short-cylindric or ovoid, appearing before or with leaves;
bracts ovate, glabrous or variously pubescent.
unisexual, rarely bisexual, staminate and pistillate flowers usually on different plants, infrequently on same plants.
stamens (2-)3-12(-22), shorter or longer than subtending bract;
filaments mostly distinct, often connate into branching staminal column, each branch terminated by anther;
rudimentary ovary occasionally present.
ovary subtended by 2-6 broadly ovate bracteoles, these sometimes persistent and accrescent, always shorter than fruit, sometimes completely absent;
styles short.
globose or ovoid to lenticular, smooth or more commonly with warty protuberances, usually covered with waxy coating that dries white.
= 8.
Myrica
Species ca. 50 (7 in the flora).
Myrica is often cultivated. Myrica species were used by various tribes of Native Americans for medicinal purposes. Leaves were used for a gynecological aid and an emetic; the bark, as a blood purifier and a kidney aid (D. E. Moerman 1986). Bayberry candles were used by early settlers, and they remain popular household items, both decorative and functional.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
1. Bracts of staminate flowers longer than stamens; bracteoles of pistillate flowers 2, accrescent and adnate to fruit; fruits smooth (without protuberances), lacking waxy deposit (subg. Myrica). | → 2 |
1. Bracts of staminate flowers shorter than stamens; bracteoles of pistillate flowers 4–6, not accrescent or adnate to fruit; fruits with numerous protuberances, usually covered with waxy coating that dries white or blue-white to gray (subg. Morella Loureiro). | → 3 |
2. Bracteoles of pistillate flowers glabrous; leaf margins serrate, usually minutely so, with 1–4 pairs of teeth restricted to distal 1/3 of blade; not extending s of Oregon in w part of range. | M. gale |
2. Bracteoles of pistillate flowers densely pilose, especially at apex; leaf margins serrate, often coarsely so, with 4–12 pairs of teeth ± in distal 1/2 of blade; California only. | M. hartwegii |
3. Staminate flowers with 6 or more stamens, rarely 2–3, especially in distal flowers; fruit wall, but not warty protuberances, pubescent. | → 4 |
3. Staminate flowers with 3–5(–7) stamens; fruit wall usually glabrous, if pubescent, warty protuberances also pubescent. | → 5 |
4. Margins of leaf blade entire, rarely serrate at apex; blade not aromatic when crushed; flowers unisexual, staminate and pistillate on different plants; restricted to Gulf Coast region. | M. inodora |
4. Margins of leaf blade conspicuously serrate almost their entire length; blade fragrant when crushed; flowers bisexual, staminate, and pistillate, all on same plant; Pacific Coast region. | M. californica |
5. Leaf blade densely glandular on both surfaces. | M. cerifera |
5. Leaf blade densely glandular only abaxially. | → 6 |
6. Fruit wall and warty protuberances densely hirsute when young; branches whitish gray in age; leaves deciduous, membranous; fruits 3.5–5.5 mm. | M. pensylvanica |
6. Fruit wall glabrous or sparsely glandular, warty protuberances ± glandular; branches black; leaves persistent or tardily deciduous, leathery; fruits 3–4.5 mm. | M. heterophylla |
CA
OR
WA
Flora NW
MI Flora
MN Wildflowers
PNW Herbaria
WildflowerSearch
iNaturalist
USDA Plants Database
