''Backhousia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of thirteen currently known species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

s in the family

Myrtaceae Myrtaceae, the myrtle family, is a family of dicotyledonous plants placed within the order Myrtales. Myrtle, pōhutukawa, bay rum tree, clove, guava, acca (feijoa), allspice, and eucalyptus are some notable members of this group. All spe ...

. All the currently known species are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to Australia in the

rainforest Rainforests are characterized by a closed and continuous tree canopy, moisture-dependent vegetation, the presence of epiphytes and lianas and the absence of wildfire. Rainforest can be classified as tropical rainforest or temperate rainfo ...

s and seasonally dry forests of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

and

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to ...

. In 1845 in the European science publication the ''

Botanical Magazine ''The Botanical Magazine; or Flower-Garden Displayed'', is an illustrated publication which began in 1787. The longest running botanical magazine, it is widely referred to by the subsequent name ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine''. Each of the issue ...

'' William Jackson Hooker and

William Henry Harvey William Henry Harvey, FRS FLS (5 February 1811 – 15 May 1866) was an Irish botanist and phycologist who specialised in algae. Biography Harvey was born at Summerville near Limerick, Ireland, in 1811, the youngest of 11 children. His fathe ...

first published this genus's formal description and name, after botanist

James Backhouse :''See alsfor two other James Backhouse botanists and nursery owners of York.'' James Backhouse (8 July 1794 – 20 January 1869) was a botanist and missionary for the Quaker church in Australia. His son, also James Backhouse (1825–1890), w ...

from England and Australia. They grow to aromatic shrubs or trees from tall, with leaves long and wide, arranged opposite to each other.

Species

Sourced from the authoritative ''

Australian Plant Name Index The Australian Plant Name Index (APNI) is an online database of all published names of Australian vascular plants. It covers all names, whether current names, synonyms or invalid names. It includes bibliographic and typification details, informati ...

'' and ''

Australian Plant Census The Australian Plant Census (APC) provides an online interface to currently accepted, published, scientific names of the vascular flora of Australia, as one of the output interfaces of the national government Integrated Biodiversity Information Syst ...

'' . For

taxa In biology, a taxon ( back-formation from '' taxonomy''; plural taxa) is a group of one or more populations of an organism or organisms seen by taxonomists to form a unit. Although neither is required, a taxon is usually known by a particular n ...

including undescribed species further afield outside Australia, for example likely in

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu: ''Niu Gini''; id, Papua, or , historically ) is the world's second-largest island with an area of . Located in Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, the island is separated from Australia by the wide Torr ...

, this list lacks them—refer also to the genus ''Kania''. * '' Backhousia angustifolia'' , curry myrtle, narrow leaf myrtle * ''

Backhousia bancroftii ''Backhousia'' is a genus of thirteen currently known species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. All the currently known species are endemic to Australia in the rainforests and seasonally dry forests of Queensland, New South Wales and ...

'' , Johnstone River hardwood * ''

Backhousia citriodora ''Backhousia citriodora'' (common names lemon myrtle, lemon scented myrtle, lemon scented ironwood) is a flowering plant in the family Myrtaceae, genus ''Backhousia''. It is endemic to subtropical rainforests of central and south-eastern Queensl ...

'' , lemon scented myrtle, sweet verbena tree, lemon scented verbena, lemon ironwood * '' Backhousia enata'' * '' Backhousia gundarara'' ; formerly ''Backhousia'' sp. Prince Regent (W.O'Sullivan & D.Dureau WODD 42) WA Herbarium * '' Backhousia hughesii'' , stony backhousia, stonewood, lime wood, grey teak * '' Backhousia kingii'' * '' Backhousia leptopetala'' , former name: ''Choricarpia leptopetala'' , brush turpentine, brown myrtle * ''

Backhousia myrtifolia ''Backhousia myrtifolia'' (commonly referred to as ''carrol, neverbreak, iron wood, grey myrtle'' or ''cinnamon myrtle'') is a small rainforest tree species which grows in subtropical rainforests of Eastern Australia. First discovered and su ...

'' , grey myrtle, carrol, ironwood, neverbreak, iron myrtle, cinnamon myrtle * ''

Backhousia oligantha ''Backhousia oligantha'' is a rare species of plant in the family Myrtaceae. Mostly found in south eastern Queensland. The small tree has an unusual growth habit, with colonies of many prostrate shoots and many stems from one genotype. At the ty ...

'' * ''

Backhousia sciadophora ''Backhousia sciadophora'' is a common Australian tree, growing from near Dungog in New South Wales to near Kilcoy in south east Queensland. Common names include Shatterwood, Ironwood, Boomerang Tree and Curracabark. The habitat of Shatterwood is ...

'' , shatterwood, ironwood, boomerang tree * ''

Backhousia subargentea ''Backhousia subargentea'' (syn. ''Choricarpia subargentea'') is a rare Australian rainforest tree, growing near Mullumbimby in north eastern New South Wales and from Boonah to Imbil in south eastern Queensland. Common names include giant i ...

'' , former name: ''Choricarpia subargentea'' , giant ironwood, scrub ironwood, lancewood, ironwood box * ''

Backhousia tetraptera ''Backhousia tetraptera'' is a tree in the family Myrtaceae. The only known population occurs at the foot of Mount Stuart Mount Stuart is a mountain in the Cascade Range, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is the second highest non-volcanic ...

'' ;Formerly included here: * ''Backhousia anisata'' was transferred to ''Anetholea anisata'', and later to ''

Syzygium anisatum :''Should not be confused with Clausena anisata, a small tree native to Southeast Asia and Australia.'' ''Syzygium anisatum'', with common names ringwood and aniseed tree, is a rare Australian rainforest tree with an aromatic leaf that has an ...

''.

References

Flora of Queensland Flora of New South Wales Rosids of Western Australia Myrtales of Australia Myrtaceae genera Endemic flora of Australia {{Australia-rosid-stub