Plants usually trees or shrubs, often evergreen, rarely herbs. Leaves usually opposite, alternate, sometimes whorled, simple, usually leathery, glandular punctate, usually without stipules, oftne entire. Inflorescences axilllary or terminal, of single flowers or variously grouped. Flowers usually bisexual, sometimes unisexual, with a hypanthium, perigynous or epigynous, radially or bilaterally symmetric, usually with 2 bracteoles at the base; sepals 4-5, free and often punctate, or fused together to form, with the petals, a conical structure, an operculum, which is shed at the beginning of flowering; petals 4-5, imbricate, sometimes reduced or absent; stamens usually many, free or united at the base, sometimes fused into bundles; ovaries inferior or half inferior, enclose or surrounded by hypanthia, 2-3(-10)-celled, each cell usually with many ovules; styles 1; stigmas capitate or peltate. Fruits berries, drupes, or capsules, usually manay seeded.
The Myrtaceae includes over 100 genera and 3000 species that grow primarily in tropical and warm temperate regions of the world. They are rather poorly represented in Africa. Several mambers are grown as ornamentals. One of its largest genera, Eucalyptus, has been planted throughout the tropics and warm temperate part of the world. sometimes as an ornamental, sometimes as a potential lumber tree, buit it is highly flammabke and often weedy.
Primary sources
Ghafoor, Abhdul. 2012. Myyrtaceae. Flora of Pakistan 291. Center for PLant Conservation, University of Karachi, Krachi, Pakistan.
Thulin, M. & G. Moggi. 1993. Myrtaceae. Flora of Somalia : 243-245
