Ardisia

Ardisia (coralberry or marlberry) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Primulaceae. It was in the former Myrsinaceae family now recognised as the myrsine sub-family Myrsinoideae.^[2] They are distributed in the Americas, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific Islands, mainly in the tropics.^[3][4] There are over 700 accepted species.^[1] One species, Ardisia japonica is one of the 50 fundamental herbs in traditional Chinese medicine.

Clade:Tracheophytes

Clade:Angiosperms

Clade:Eudicots

Clade:Asterids

Quick facts Scientific classification, Type species ...

Ardisia
Ardisia crenata
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Primulaceae
Subfamily:	Myrsinoideae
Genus:	Ardisia Sw.
Type species
Ardisia tinifolia Sw.
Species
Over 700, see list of Ardisia species
Synonyms[1]
28 synonyms Rosaura Noronha Afrardisia Mez Amatlania Lundell Anguillaria Gaertn. Auriculardisia Lundell Barthesia Comm. ex A.DC. Bladhia Thunb. Chontalesia Lundell Climacandra Miq. Galiziola Raf. Gentlea Lundell Graphardisia (Mez) Lundell Ibarraea Lundell Icacorea Aubl. Milnea Raf. Niara Dennst. Oerstedianthus Lundell Parardisia M.P.Nayar & G.S.Giri Pickeringia Nutt. Pimelandra A.DC. Pyrgus Lour. Stigmatococca Willd. Strangula Noronha Synardisia (Mez) Lundell Tetrardisia Mez Valerioanthus Lundell Vedela Adans. Zunilia Lundell

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These are trees, shrubs, and subshrubs. Most have alternately arranged leaves. Flowers are borne in many forms of inflorescence. The flowers have usually 4 or 5 green sepals and a bell-shaped corolla of usually 4 or 5 white or pink petals. The fruit is a somewhat fleshy drupe.^[3][4] The defining characteristic of the genus is the small tube formed at the center of the flower by the stamens, which are joined at their bases.^[5]

Several Ardisia species are the sources of the chemical compounds known as ardisiaquinones.^[6]