About Myrtaceae and the purpose of this website

Hello everyone,

This website aims at divulging and sharing information regarding the species of Myrtaceae occurring in Chilean territory.

Chile is a beautiful country located in the south-western tip of South America. It possesses natural frontiers that have influenced the evolution of the biota occurring across the land and islands. One of these taxonomic groups is Myrtaceae, a large family of flowering plants considered the 9th biggest family of angiosperms with ca. 5500 species. Myrtaceae is a pantropical family with a particularly high taxonomic diversity in the southern hemisphere. In Chile, there are 26 recognized species grouped in 10 genera, which suggest a high distinction level between taxa in evolutionary and taxonomic terms.

Well known species belonging to this family include the eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp.), guava (Psidium guajava), clove (Syzygium aromaticum), Chilean berry (Ugni molinae), tea tree (Melaleuca quinquenervia) among others.

Although this family has botanic, ecological and economic importance, information in terms of biology and taxonomy of the Chilean species is scarce.

Therefore, this website will try to enhance the interaction between Chilean, South American and other researchers interested in Myrtaceae around the world. Chilean scientists working with Myrtaceae or just interested, are encouraged to use this website as a starting point.

Thanks!