Amyris

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Cladus: Core eudicots
Cladus: Rosids
Cladus: Eurosids II
Ordo: Sapindales

Familia: Rutaceae
Subfamilia: Amyridoideae
Genus: Amyris
Overview of species

A. abeggii – A. amazonica – A. apiculata – A. attenuata – A. balsamifera – A. barbata – A. belizensis – A. brachybotrys – A. brenesii – A. carterae – A. centinelensis – A. chiapensis – A. conzattii – A. cordata – A. crebrinervis – A. cubensis – A. diatrypa – A. elemifera – A. filipes – A. granulata – A. guatemalensis – A. guianensis – A. humboldtii – A. ignea – A. jorgemeavei – A. lineata – A. lurida – A. macrocarpa – A. madrensis – A. magnifolia – A. marshii – A. metopioides – A. mexicana – A. monophylla – A. oblanceolata – A. phlebotaenioides – A. pinnata – A. plumieri – A. polymorpha – A. polyneura – A. pungens – A. purpursii – A. rekoi – A. rhomboidea – A. sandemanii – A. staminosa – A. stromatophylla – A. sylvatica – A. texana – A. thyrsiflora – A. vestita
Name

Amyris P.Browne, Civ. Nat. Hist. Jamaica 208. 1756

Type species: Amyris balsamifera L.

Synonyms

Heterotypic
Elemi Adans.
Elemifera Burm.
Kodalyodendron Borhidi & Acuña
Ritinophora Neck.
Schimmelia Holmes

Homonym

Amyris L., Systema Naturae, Editio Decima 2: 996. 1759, nom. illeg.

References
Primary references

Browne, P. 1756. The Civil and Natural History of Jamaica in Three Parts. London. BHL Reference page. : 208

Links

Hassler, M. 2019. Amyris. World Plants: Synonymic Checklists of the Vascular Plants of the World In: Roskovh, Y., Abucay, L., Orrell, T., Nicolson, D., Bailly, N., Kirk, P., Bourgoin, T., DeWalt, R.E., Decock, W., De Wever, A., Nieukerken, E. van, Zarucchi, J. & Penev, L., eds. 2019. Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Mar. 10. Reference page.
International Plant Names Index. 2019. Amyris. Published online. Accessed: Mar. 10 2019.
Govaerts, R. et al. 2019. Amyris in Kew Science Plants of the World online. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Mar. 10. Reference page.
Tropicos.org 2019. Amyris. Missouri Botanical Garden. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2019 Mar. 10.

Vernacular names
հայերեն: Բալասանածառ, բալսամածառ, բալասենի

For other uses, see Amyris (company) and Amyris of Sybaris.
Amyris
Amyris elemifera1.jpg
Sea torchwood (A. elemifera)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae
Subfamily: Amyridoideae
Genus: Amyris
P.Browne
Type species
Amyris balsamifera
L.[1]
Species

See text.

Amyris is a genus of flowering plants in the citrus family, Rutaceae.[2] The generic name is derived from the Greek word αμυρων (amyron), which means "intensely scented" and refers to the strong odor of the resin.[3] Members of the genus are commonly known as Torchwoods[4] because of their highly flammable wood.[5]

Species

As of September 2021, Plants of the World Online accepted the following species:[6]

Amyris abeggii Ekman ex Urb.
Amyris amazonica Cornejo & Kallunki
Amyris apiculata Urb. & Ekman
Amyris attenuata Standl.
Amyris balsamifera L. – balsam torchwood
Amyris barbata Lundell
Amyris brachybotrys Turcz.
Amyris brenesii Standl.
Amyris carterae Rebman & F.Chiang
Amyris centinelensis Cornejo
Amyris chiapensis Lundell
Amyris conzattii Standl.
Amyris cordata I.M.Johnst.
Amyris crebrinervis Gereau
Amyris cubensis (Borhidi & Acuña) Beurton
Amyris diatrypa Spreng. – hairy torchwood
Amyris elemifera L. – sea torchwood
Amyris filipes Lundell
Amyris granulata Urb.
Amyris guatemalensis Lundell
Amyris guianensis Aubl.
Amyris humboldtii Krug & Urb.
Amyris ignea Steyerm.
Amyris intermedia Urb. & Ekman
Amyris jorgemeavei Hern.-Barón, Espejo, Pérez-García, Cerros & López-Ferr.
Amyris karlitae W.Palacios
Amyris lineata C.Wright ex Griseb.
Amyris lurida Lundell
Amyris macrocarpa Gereau
Amyris madrensis S.Watson – mountain torchwood
Amyris magnifolia Gómez-Laur. & Q.Jiménez
Amyris marshii Standl.
Amyris metopioides Zanoni & M.M.Mejía
Amyris mexicana Lundell
Amyris monophylla Brandegee
Amyris multijuga Turcz.
Amyris oblanceolata A.Pool
Amyris pernambucensis Arruda
Amyris phlebotaenioides Urb. & Ekman
Amyris pinnata Kunth
Amyris plumieri DC.
Amyris polymorpha Urb.
Amyris polyneura Urb.
Amyris pungens Urb.
Amyris purpusii P.Wilson
Amyris rekoi S.F.Blake
Amyris rhomboidea Standl.
Amyris robinsonii DC.
Amyris roseomaculata Hern.-Barón, Cerros, M.González, Espejo & López-Ferr.
Amyris sandemanii Sandwith
Amyris staminosa Lundell
Amyris stromatophylla P.Wilson
Amyris terebinthifolia Ten.
Amyris texana (Buckley) P.Wilson – Texas torchwood, chapotillo
Amyris thyrsiflora Turcz.
Amyris trimera Krug & Urb.
Amyris vestita Lundell

Formerly placed here

Atalantia simplicifolia (Roxb.) Engl. (as A. simplicifolia Roxb.)
Boswellia papyrifera (Delile ex Caill.) Hochst. (as A. papyrifera Delile ex Caill.)
Bursera excelsa (as A. elegans)
Canarium zeylanicum (Retz.) Blume (as A. zeylanica Retz.)
Clausena anisata (Willd.) Hook.f. (as A. anisata Willd. or A. dentata Willd.)
Clausena heptaphylla (Roxb. ex DC.) Wight & Arn. ex Steud. (as A. heptaphylla Roxb. ex DC.)
Commiphora gileadensis (L.) C.Chr. (as A. gileadensis L. or A. opobalsamum L.)
Commiphora kataf (Forssk.) Engl. (as A. kataf Forssk.)
Metopium toxiferum (L.) Krug & Urb. (as A. toxifera L.)
Schinus polygama (Cav.) Cabrera (as A. polygama Cav.)[7]

Uses

The trunks of Amyris species exude elemi, a type of balsam (oleoresin) that contains elemic acids, liquid sesquiterpenes, and triterpenes such as α- and β-amyrin among other components.[8] It is used medicinally and in lacquers. The wood is often used for torches and firewood. Its high resin content causes it to burn brightly, and it will burn well even when green. In addition, the wood is hard, heavy, close-grained, can take a high polish, and repels dry wood termites. Essential oils containing caryophyllene, cadinene, and cadinol are extracted from A. balsamifera and A. elemifera. These are used in varnishes, perfumes, medicines, cosmetics, soaps, and incense.[5]

Chemical compounds known as chromenylated amides isolated from Amyris plumieri have shown some inhibition of the cytochrome P450 enzymes.[9]
References
Wikispecies has information related to Amyris.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Amyris.

"Amyris P. Browne". TROPICOS. Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 2009-12-28.
"Genus: Amyris P. Browne". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2008-03-21. Archived from the original on 2010-05-28. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
Quattrocchi, Umberto (2000). CRC World Dictionary of Plant Names. I: A-C. CRC Press. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-8493-2675-2.
"Amyris". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 2010-02-22.
Austin, Daniel F. (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. pp. 88–91. ISBN 978-0-8493-2332-4.
"Amyris P.Browne". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2021-09-15.
"GRIN Species Records of Amyris". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on 2000-11-02. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
Langenheim, Jean H. (2003). Plant Resins: Chemistry, Evolution, Ecology, and Ethnobotany. Timber Press. pp. 356–358. ISBN 978-0-88192-574-6.
Badal, S; Williams, SA; Huang, G; Francis, S; Vendantam, P; Dunbar, O; Jacobs, H; Tzeng, TJ; et al. (2011). "Cytochrome P450 1 enzyme inhibition and anticancer potential of chromene amides from Amyris plumieri". Fitoterapia. 82 (2): 230–6. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2010.10.003. PMID 20951188.