myrtaceae

IPA/mˈɪətˌeɪsiː/
IPA/mˈɪətˌeɪsiː/

myrtaceae — noun

1. a large group of related trees and shrubs whose flowers have many stamens and wh

1.nounC2
Definition

a large group of related trees and shrubs whose flowers have many stamens and whose leaves give off a fragrant oil when crushed; this group includes the eucalyptus, the guava, the clove tree, and the myrtle.

Example

In her field notes, Rania grouped every eucalyptus and guava on the hillside under the Myrtaceae.

used as a singular taxonomic label after 'the'

The Myrtaceae include both the clove tree and the lemon-scented gum that Marco planted near the gate.

plural-verb agreement: 'the Myrtaceae include …'

Common collocations
  • belong to the Myrtaceae
  • a member of the Myrtaceae
  • species of Myrtaceae
  • the Myrtaceae include
  • native Myrtaceae
Synonyms
  • myrtle family

    everyday English equivalent; used in popular nature writing where the Latin name would feel too technical

  • the myrtles

    informal shorthand among gardeners; less precise than Myrtaceae

Grammar Patterns

the Myrtaceae include …

a member of the Myrtaceae

Usage Note

Almost always preceded by 'the' and capitalised because it names a scientific plant family. Subject is normally a list of member species (eucalyptus, guava, clove, myrtle) or a researcher classifying plants. Takes either a singular or plural verb depending on whether the writer treats the family as one group ('the Myrtaceae is found in…') or as its many species ('the Myrtaceae include…').

Common Mistakes

I planted a myrtaceae in my garden last spring.
I planted a member of the Myrtaceae
a guava tree — in my garden last spring.' — the name labels the whole family, not one individual plant; you plant a species inside the family, not the family itself.
The myrtaceae's flower has a strong smell.
The flowers of Myrtaceae have a strong smell.
the family name is plural, so don't add 's to make it possessive singular.

Word family

  • myrtle
    nounC1
  • myrtaceous
    adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Myrtaceae is the formal scientific name for the whole plant family, used by botanists, taxonomists, and writers of field guides. 'Myrtle family' is the everyday English label for exactly the same group — choose it when writing for a general audience that would find the Latin name off-putting. 'Eucalypteae' and 'Myrteae' are not equivalents but subgroups (tribes) inside Myrtaceae: Eucalypteae covers the eucalyptus and its close relatives, while Myrteae covers the guava, the rose-apple, and the true myrtle. So a sentence like 'the bottlebrush belongs to the Myrtaceae' is correct at the family level, but a botanist might narrow it further to 'within the Eucalypteae'.

Myrtaceae ↗myrtle familyEucalypteaeMyrteae

Common collocations

Nouns

  • a member of the Myrtaceae
  • species of Myrtaceae
  • the family Myrtaceae

Phrases

  • the Myrtaceae include
  • native Myrtaceae
  • belong to the Myrtaceae

Prepositions

  • of the Myrtaceae
  • within the Myrtaceae
  • among the Myrtaceae

Etymology

Ancient GreekLatinModern Scientific LatinEnglish

Formed in modern scientific Latin from 'Myrtus', the Latin name for the myrtle plant, plus the family-name ending '-aceae' that botany uses for all plant families. Myrtus itself was borrowed from Ancient Greek 'myrtos', the name for the same fragrant shrub. The family was first named in 1789 by the French botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu when he organised the flowering plants into families.