Backhousia

Backhousia is a genus of thirteen currently known species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae.^[1][2] All the currently known species are endemic to Australia in the rainforests and seasonally dry forests of Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia.^[2][3]

Backhousia
Backhousia citriodora foliage and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Rosids
Order:	Myrtales
Family:	Myrtaceae
Subfamily:	Myrtoideae
Tribe:	Backhousieae
Genus:	Backhousia Hook. & Harv.[1][2]
Synonyms
Choricarpia

In 1845 in the European science publication the Botanical Magazine William Jackson Hooker and William Henry Harvey first published this genus's formal description and name, after botanist James Backhouse from England and Australia.^[1][2]

They grow to aromatic shrubs or trees from 5 to 25 m (20 to 80 ft) tall, with leaves 3–12 cm (1.2–4.7 in) long and 1–6 cm (0.4–2.4 in) wide, arranged opposite to each other.

Species

Sourced from the authoritative Australian Plant Name Index and Australian Plant Census as of June 2014^[update].^[2] For taxa including undescribed species further afield outside Australia, for example likely in New Guinea, this list lacks them—refer also to the genus Kania.^[2][3]

• Backhousia angustifolia F.Muell., curry myrtle, narrow leaf myrtle
• Backhousia bancroftii F.M.Bailey, Johnstone River hardwood
• Backhousia citriodora F.Muell., lemon scented myrtle, sweet verbena tree, lemon scented verbena, lemon ironwood
• Backhousia enata A.J.Ford, Craven & J.Holmes^[4]
• Backhousia gundarara M.D.Barrett, Craven & R.L.Barrett; formerly Backhousia sp. Prince Regent (W.O'Sullivan & D.Dureau WODD 42) WA Herbarium ^[5]
• Backhousia hughesii C.T.White, stony backhousia, stonewood, lime wood, grey teak
• Backhousia kingii Guymer
• Backhousia leptopetala (F.Muell.) M.G.Harr., former name: Choricarpia leptopetala (F.Muell.) Domin, brush turpentine, brown myrtle^[5]
• Backhousia myrtifolia Hook. & Harv., grey myrtle, carrol, ironwood, neverbreak, iron myrtle, cinnamon myrtle
• Backhousia oligantha A.R.Bean^[6]
• Backhousia sciadophora F.Muell., shatterwood, ironwood, boomerang tree
• Backhousia subargentea (C.T.White) M.G.Harr., former name: Choricarpia subargentea (C.T.White) L.A.S.Johnson, giant ironwood, scrub ironwood, lancewood, ironwood box^[5]
• Backhousia tetraptera Jackes^[5][7]

Formerly included here

• Backhousia anisata was transferred to Anetholea anisata,^[8] and later to Syzygium anisatum.^[9]

References

1. Hooker, William Jackson; Harvey, William Henry (1845). "Tab. 4133 Backhousia myrtifolia Myrtle-leaved Backhousia; Nat Ord. Myrtaceae—Icosandria Monogynia; Backhousia. Hook. et Harv" (Digitised archive copy, online, from biodiversitylibrary.org). Botanical Magazine. 71. tab: 4133 (plate and text formal genus and species description). Retrieved 12 October 2014.
2. "Backhousia%". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), Integrated Botanical Information System (IBIS) database (listing by % wildcard matching of all taxa relevant to Australia). Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government. Retrieved 26 April 2013.
3. Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
4. Ford, Andrew J.; Craven, Lyndley A.; Brophy, J. J. (2005). "Backhousia enata A.J.Ford, Craven & J.Holmes (Myrtaceae), a new species from north-eastern Queensland". Austrobaileya. 7 (1). pages 121–127, fig. 1, map 1. JSTOR 41739014.
5. Harrington, Mark G.; Jackes, Betsy R.; Barrett, M. D.; et al. (2012). "Phylogenetic revision of Backhousieae (Myrtaceae): Neogene divergence, a revised circumscription of Backhousia and two new species" (PDF). Australian Systematic Botany. 25 (6): 409–414. doi:10.1071/sb12015. S2CID 56067440.
6. Bean, A. R. (2003). "Backhousia oligantha (Myrtaceae), a new species from Queensland". Austrobaileya. 6 (3). pages 533–536, fig. 1, map 1. JSTOR 41738996.
7. "Mystery Tree April 2010; Update 2012 Backhousia tetraptera". The Society for Growing Australian Plants Townsville Branch Inc. 2012. Archived from the original (website) on 13 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
8. Wilson, Paul G.; O'Brien, M. M.; Quinn, Chris J. (2000). "Anetholea (Myrtaceae), a new genus for Backhousia anisata: a cryptic member of the Acmena alliance". Australian Systematic Botany. 13 (3): 429–435. doi:10.1071/SB99008.
9. Craven, Lyndley A.; Biffin, Ed (2005). "Anetholea anisata transferred to, and two new Australian taxa of, Syzygium (Myrtaceae)". Blumea. 50 (1): 157–162. doi:10.3767/000651905x623346.