Botanical Family · Ericales

Myrsinaceae

Myrsine Family

15 speciesOrder Ericales7+ well-known plants

The Myrsinaceae family (Myrsine Family) is a botanical family placed in the order Ericales. In the SASYA catalogue it spans 15 species across 5 genera. Members range from shrubs to trees. Well-represented genera include Ardisia, Embelia and Rapanea. Several members are valued in traditional medicine. Familiar examples include River Mangrove, Panicled Coralberry and Few-Flowered Coralberry.

Browse all 15 species ↓

Representative specimen · Myrsinaceae

Key pattern

Alternate, leathery leaves dotted with tiny translucent or dark internal glands visible against the light; small flowers with fused petals ripen into a single-seeded drupe, densely clustered along the branches.

Many species are dioecious (separate male and female plants) and bear dense clusters of small colourful fruit directly on the woody stem — a trait called cauliflory.

Identify the species

Which Myrsinaceae species is this?

Answer what you can see and narrow it down to a single Myrsinaceae species.

Click a node to trace its path · pinch or scroll to zoom · drag to pan

HabitWhat is the plant's growth habit?

Climbing vine

Shrub

Tree

Family identification method

To check whether a plant belongs to Myrsinaceae, compare the leaf arrangement, leaf type, flower symmetry, fruit type, and one distinctive marker together. A single feature can mislead; the family pattern is the combination.

Learn the full family-identification method