| Summary: | Reports were scanned in black and white at a resolution of 600 dots per inch and were converted to text using Adobe Paper Capture Plug-in. The family Myricaceae consists of three or four genera, depending on the classification system followed, of which the largest is Myrica with 37-52 species. Members of the genus are typically evergreen shrubs or small trees. The high degree of floral and foliar uniformity within the genus has resulted in confusion and disagreement as to species level classification, and has produced a large number of synonyms. Myrica is widely distributed primarily in tropical or subtropical regions of the world, but several species also occur in northern and southern temperate habitats. The greatest concentration of species appears to be in South Africa. Chevalier's Monographie des Myricales, published in 190 1, remains the definitive work on the taxonomy of the genus, but is out of date in many respects and in need of revision. No members of the genus are themselves of significant economic value, but several species have received disproportionate research attention because of their anatomically and morphologically unusual floral development and structure, and the ability of Myrica spp. to fix atmospheric nitrogen through symbiotic association with the Actinomycete Frankia. In Hawai'i, Myrica faya (fayatree) has received considerable attention because of its ability to invade and significantly alter native habitats. It is native to the northern islands of Macaronesia, the Azores, Madeira, and the Canaries in the north Atlantic ocean. It was probably introduced to Hawai'i by Portuguese immigrants from the Azores or Madeira during the period 1876-1886, although there are no apparent ethnobotanical uses that would readily account for such introduction. In Hawai'i, research has concentrated on two general aspects: the ability of fayatree to invade native habitats and to permanently alter the nutrient status of volcanic soils, which are typically deficient in nitrogen, through its ...
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