Myrtus communis

Myrtus communis, the common myrtle or true myrtle, is a species of flowering plant in the myrtle family Myrtaceae. It is an evergreen shrub native to southern Europe, north Africa, western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian Subcontinent, and also cultivated.[2]

Myrtus communis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Myrtus
Species:
M. communis
Binomial name
Myrtus communis
Synonyms[1]

It is one of the four species used in the Jewish festival of Sukkot.

For uses, see Myrtus.

Description

The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5 metres (16 ft) tall.[3] The leaves are 2–5 centimetres (1–2 in) long, with a fragrant essential oil.[3]

The flowers are white or tinged with pink, with five petals and many stamens that protrude from the flower.[3] The fruit is an edible berry, blue-black when ripe.[3]

Myrtus communis is known for its medicinal properties. It has been widely used as an anti-inflammatory reagent. The essential oils derived from this plant has anti-proliferative properties, helping against food spoilage.[4]

This species[5] and the more compact M. communis subsp. tarentina[6] have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[7] They are hardy but prefer a sheltered position in full sun.

  • The plant
  • The plant, closeup
  • Berries on the plant
  • Berries macerated in alcohol to make Mirto liqueur

References
  1. The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 13 August 2016
  2. USDA GRIN Taxonomy, retrieved 13 August 2016
  3. Cretan Flora: An illustrated guide to the flora of Crete, retrieved 13 August 2016
  4. Myszka, Kamila; Sobieszczańska, Natalia; Olejnik, Anna; Majcher, Małgorzata; Szwengiel, Artur; Wolko, Łukasz; Juzwa, Wojciech (June 2020). "Studies on the anti-proliferative and anti-quorum sensing potentials of Myrtus communis L. essential oil for the improved microbial stability of salmon-based products". LWT. 127: 109380. doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2020.109380.
  5. "RHS Plantfinder - Myrtus communis". Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  6. "RHS Plantfinder - Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina". Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  7. "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 64. Retrieved 10 April 2018.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.