Myrica cerifera
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643ffdd3e83b8391401028 |
| Scientific name | Myrica cerifera |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 1024 (1753) |
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- The mature fruits are coated with a natural wax, commonly called bayberry wax. When the coating is rendered and refined, it yields a hard, fragrant wax that has been used historically for candle production and as an additive in soaps and cosmetic formulations.
Industrial and craft applications:
- The rendered bayberry wax serves as a binder, thickener and polish in candle manufacture, natural soap making and wood finishing. Its melting point of approximately 60–65 °C gives candles a slow, low‑smoke burn and a protective coating for small wooden objects.
- The dense, fine‑grained wood is occasionally used as fuel wood and for small‑scale charcoal production; reports from the USDA Forest Service note its suitability for local energy uses.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
- The berries are harvested for their aromatic pulp, which is used as a flavoring in preserves, sauces and specialty beverages. The fruit contributes a sweet‑tart, slightly resinous note and is employed in small‑batch jams and as a seasoning for savory dishes.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- Steam‑distilled leaf and twig essential oil provides fresh‑green, resinous aroma and is employed in perfumery as a base or fixative note. The oil typically contains 1,8‑cineole, α‑pinene and myrcene, with yields of 0.3–0.5 % (w/w) from fresh material.
- Bayberry wax is listed in the International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary as an emollient and binding agent, used in lip balms, creams and solid perfumes.
Properties relevant to use:
- Bayberry wax is composed mainly of long‑chain esters and free fatty acids, giving a saponification value around 180–210 mg KOH g⁻¹, an iodine value of 15–25 g I₂ 100 g⁻¹ and an acid value
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Lacistema alterum | Spreng. | Neue Entdeck. Pflanzenk. 3: 20 (1822) |
| Lacistema berteroanum | Schult. | Mant. 1: 66 (1822) |
| Myrica verrucosa | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 9 (1838) |
| Myrica xalapensis | Kunth | Nov. Gen. Sp. 2: 16 (1817) |
| Myrica domingana | C.DC. | Prodr. 16(2): 154 (1864) |
| Myrica microstachya | Krug & Urb. | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 15: 361 (1892) |
| Myrica microcarpa | Benth. | Pl. Hartw. : 266 (1846) |
| Myrica reticulata | Krug & Urb. | Bot. Jahrb. Syst. 15: 360 (1892) |
| Myrica mexicana | Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd. | Enum. Pl. : 1011 (1809) |
| Myrica pusilla | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 10 (1838) |
| Myrica jamaicensis | R.A.Howard & Proctor | J. Arnold Arbor. 39: 104 (1958) |
| Myrica altera | C.DC. | Prodr. 16(2): 595 (1868) |
| Myrica apiculata | Urb. & Ekman | Ark. Bot. 22A(8): 13 (1929) |
| Morella cerifera | (L.) Small | Fl. S.E. U.S. : 337 (1903) |
| Morella pumila | Small | Fl. S.E. U.S. : 337 (1903) |
| Myrica mexicana var. subglabra | A.Chev. | Mém. Soc. Sci. Nat. Math. Cherbourg 32: 280 (1901) |
| Myrica mexicana var. fastuosa | A.Chev. | Mém. Soc. Sci. Nat. Math. Cherbourg 32: 280 (1901) |
| Cerophora angustifolia | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 11 (1838) |
| Cerophora inodora | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 11 (1838) |
| Cerophora lanceolata | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 11 (1838) |
| Cerophora spicans | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. : 12 (1838) |
| Cerothamnus ceriferus | (L.) Small | Fl. Miami : 61 (1913) |
| Myrica cerifera var. pumila | Michx. | Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 228 (1803) |
| Myrica cerifera var. arborescens | Castigl. | Viagg. Stati Uniti 2: 302 (1790) |
| Myrica pumila | (Michx.) Small | |
| Pimecaria odorata | Raf. | Alsogr. Amer. 64. 1838 |
| Morella domingana | (C.DC.) Carlquist | Aliso 21: 8 (2002) |
| Myrica cerifera var. dubia | A.Chev. | Mém. Soc. Sci. Nat. Math. Cherbourg 32: 265 (1901) |
| Myrica microcarpa var. angustifolia | C.DC. | Prodr. 16(2): 149 (1864) |
| Cerothamnus pumilus | (Michx.) Small | Shrubs Florida : 8 (1913) |
| Myrica polycarpa | M.Martens & Galeotti | Bull. Acad. Roy. Sci. Bruxelles 10(2): 134 (1843) |
| Myrica cerifera var. arborescens | Michx. | Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 228 (1803) |
| Myrica cerifera var. angustifolia | Aiton | Hort. Kew. 3: 396 (1789) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| Arabic | شجرة الشمع |
| Arabic | شمعية |
| Arabic | الميرقية الشمعية |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
No distribution data was extracted from POWO/KEW yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000447382 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:53433-2 |
| IPNI | 53433-2 |
| GBIF | 3169000 |
| Tropicos | 21700027 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:166220-2 |
| PaleoBotany | 27832 |
| Observations.org | 119931 |
| NBN Atlas | NBNSYS0000003632 |
| IPNI | 321936-2 |
| iNaturalist | 278990 |
| GBIF | 106344218 |
| Elurikkus | 638470 |
| USDA GRIN | 24839 |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The diarylheptanoid (+)-aR,11S-myricanol and two flavones from bayberry (Myrica cerifera) destabilize the microtubule-associated protein tau. | Jones JR, Lebar MD, Jinwal UK, Abisambra JF, Koren J 3rd, Blair L, O'Leary JC, Davey Z, Trotter J, Johnson AG, Weeber E, Eckman CB, Baker BJ, Dickey CA | J Nat Prod | 28-Jan-2011 |
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| Extensive 1D, 2D NMR Spectra of Some [7.0]Metacyclophanes and X-ray Analysis of (±)-Myricanol | Balawant S. Joshi, S. William Pelletier, M. Gary Newton, Doowon Lee, Georgia B. McGaughey, Mohindar S. Puar | American Chemical Society (ACS) | 26-Jul-2002 |
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| Oleanane acid from Myrica cerifera. | Nagai M, Sakurai N, Yumoto N, Nagumo S, Seo S | Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) | 01-Oct-2000 |
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| Antifungal and antibacterial chalcones from Myrica serrata. | Gafner S, Wolfender JL, Mavi S, Hostettmann K | Planta Med | 01-Feb-1996 |
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| Endothelin receptor antagonist triterpenoid, myriceric acid A, isolated from Myrica cerifera, and structure activity relationships of its derivatives. | Sakurawi K, Yasuda F, Tozyo T, Nakamura M, Sato T, Kikuchi J, Terui Y, Ikenishi Y, Iwata T, Takahashi K, Konoike T, Mihara S, Fujimoto M | Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo) | 01-Feb-1996 |
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| Isolation of myricadiol, myricitrin, taraxerol, and taraxerone from Myrica cerifera L. root bark. | Paul BD, Rao GS, Kapadia GJ | J Pharm Sci | 01-Jun-1974 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |