Genus Myricaria, the Smaller Sister of Tamarisks—Ornamental Value, Phytochemistry, Biological Activities and Traditional Uses

The genus Myricaria is one of the four genera within the Tamaricaceae family. It comprises 13 species distributed across Eurasia. Phytochemical studies carried out on Myricaria plants revealed the presence of flavonoids (including rare, sulfated derivatives), tannins, phenolic acid derivatives, triterpenoids, steroids, and alkanediols. Studies on the extracts and compounds isolated from the described to date have demonstrated various biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, antimicrobial, analgesic, antinociceptive, cholinergic, and glucose absorption reducing properties. This work provides a comprehensive overview of the botanical and detailed phytochemical characteristics, ornamental value, pharmacological properties, and traditional uses of the Myricaria genus representatives. The article fills a longstanding gap in the literature as no other integrative description is currently available.