Meryta

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Meryta
Meryta sinclairii from New Zealand
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Apiales Family: Araliaceae Subfamily: Aralioideae Genus: Meryta J.R.Forst. & G.Forst.
Species
Meryta angustifolia Meryta balansae Meryta brachypoda Meryta capitata Meryta choristantha Meryta coriacea Meryta denhamii Meryta drakeana Meryta lanceolata Meryta latifolia Meryta lucida Meryta macrophylla Meryta malietoa Meryta mauluulu Meryta mauruensis Meryta neoebudica Meryta oxylaena Meryta pachycarpa Meryta pandanicarpa Meryta pauciflora Meryta raiateensis Meryta salicifolia Meryta schizolaena Meryta senfftiana Meryta sinclairii Meryta sonchifolia Meryta tenuifolia
Synonyms
Botryodendrum Endl. Botryomeryta R.Vig. Schizomeryta R.Vig. Strobilopanax R.Vig.

Meryta is a genus in the flowering plant family Araliaceae. There are 27 species in the genus, all small, resinous trees of the subtropical and tropical Pacific Ocean, characterized by huge, simple leaves and a dioecious sexual system, a unique combination in Araliaceae. Meryta has its center of diversity in New Caledonia (11 endemic spp.). Phylogenetic analyses have placed Meryta in one of the three major clades of the Araliaciae, the Polyscias-Pseudopanax group, and more specifically in the Pacific Schefflera subclade.

[edit] Cultivation

Cultivation of Meryta species is possible in tropical or subtropical climates. They are valued for their dramatic foliage and tolerance of coastal conditions. Species encountered in cultivation include M. denhamii and M. sonchifolia, native to New Caledonia, and M. latifolia, native to Norfolk Island. Possibly the hardiest species is M.sinclairii, which occurs naturally on small islands between latitudes 34 and 36 South in New Zealand. Even this species is very intolerant of frost when young, however.