Myrica is a genus of approximately 35–50 species of small trees and shrubs belonging to the family Myricaceae, within the order Fagales. The genus is broadly distributed across Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America, and is absent only from Antarctica and Oceania, making it one of the more cosmopolitan woody genera in the northern and southern temperate zones.
Members of the genus are commonly known by several vernacular names — bayberry, bay-rum tree, candleberry, sweet gale, and wax-myrtle — reflecting both their aromatic character and their diverse economic uses across cultures. The leaves of many species are resinous and fragrant, and the fruits of several species are coated in a waxy layer known as bayberry wax, which has traditionally been used to make candles.
The genus has long been subject to taxonomic debate. Some botanists divide Myrica into two genera, restricting the name Myrica sensu stricto to a small number of species while transferring the remainder to Morella, a split based on differences in catkin and fruit structure. Treatment varies among regional floras and checklists.
Notable members include Myrica gale (sweet gale), Myrica californica (California wax-myrtle), and Myrica rubra (red bayberry or yangmei), the last being an economically important fruit crop in China. The genus also has a long history of use by Indigenous peoples of North America, in traditional European herbal practice, and in colonial-era candle-making.
Etymology
The name Myrica is derived from the ancient Greek word μυρίκη (myrike), meaning "fragrance," a reference to the aromatic resinous foliage characteristic of most members of the genus.
Distribution
Myrica has a wide distribution spanning Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. It is notably absent from Antarctica and Oceania. This broad, largely temperate distribution is unusual among genera in the family Myricaceae.
Cultural Uses
Bayberry wax, derived from the waxy coating on the fruits of several Myrica species, has been used for centuries to make candles. During the Colonial Revival Movement (c. 1880–1940), a tradition became established of burning bayberry-wax candles on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve as a symbol of good fortune. Native Americans used the root bark of bayberry medicinally — pounded into powder and mixed with water to treat diarrhea, or sniffed to relieve nasal congestion, and applied in poultices. The foliage of Myrica gale serves as a traditional insect repellent in campsites. The leaves can also be dried and used as a culinary spice in soups and broths, and Myrica is used to flavor beer and snaps in Denmark. The fruit of Myrica rubra is a significant commercial crop in China, sold fresh, dried, canned, and processed into juice, snack flavorings, and alcoholic beverages.
Taxonomy Notes
The boundaries of Myrica have been contested. Based on differences in catkin type and fruit morphology, some botanists restrict Myrica sensu stricto to a small core of species and transfer the remaining taxa to the genus Morella. This split is not universally accepted, and different floras and databases treat the genera differently. GBIF recognizes Myrica as an accepted genus-level taxon within Myricaceae, order Fagales.
