Myrtus communis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

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

Familia: Myrtaceae
Subfamilia: Myrtoideae
Tribus: Myrteae
Subtribus: Myrtinae
Genus: Myrtus
Species: Myrtus communis
Name

Myrtus communis L., Sp. Pl., 471. 1753.
Synonyms

Heterotypic

Myrtus acuta Mill., Gard. Dict., ed. 8 : n° 3. 1768.
Myrtus acutifolia (L.) Sennen & Teodoro, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 14. 1929.
Myrtus angustifolia (L.) Steud., Nomencl. Bot. 546. 1821.
Myrtus augustinii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Malag, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 16. 1929.
Myrtus augustinii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 12. 1929.
Myrtus baetica (L.) Mill. ex Steud., Nomencl. Bot. 546h. 1821.
Myrtus baetica var. minorifolia Malag. , in sched., nom. nud.
Myrtus baui (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 13. 1929.
Myrtus baui (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 9. 1929.
Myrtus belgica (L.) Mill., Gard. Dict., ed. 8 : n° 2. 1768.
Myrtus belgica (L.) Mill. ex Steud., Nom. Bot. 546. 1821.
Myrtus boetica Mill., Gard. Dict., ed. 8 : n° 4. 1768.
Myrtus borbonis Sennen, Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon, sér. 2, 70: 63. 1924.
Myrtus briquetii Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 8. 1929.
Myrtus burbonis Sennen in Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon 2. 1926.
Myrtus christinae (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 15. 1929.
Myrtus christinae (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 11. 1929.
Myrtus communis proles tarentina (L.) Rouy & E.G.Camus in Rouy, 1901
Myrtus communis f. baetica (L.) Cout., Fl. Portugal 422. 1913.
Myrtus communis f. belgica (L.) Cout., Fl. Portugal 422. 1913.
Myrtus communis f. lusitanica (L.) Cout., Fl. Portugal 422. 1913.
Myrtus communis f. tarentinus (L.) Cout., Fl. Portugal 422. 1913.
Myrtus communis subsp. lusitanica (L.) Arcang., Comp. Fl. Ital. 258. 1882.
Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina (L.) Nyman, Consp. Fl. Eur. 245. 1879.
Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina (L.) Arcang., Comp. Fl. Ital. 258. 1882), comb. superfl.
Myrtus communis var. acuminata Rouy & E.G.Camus
Myrtus communis var. acutifolia L.
Myrtus communis var. adrianii Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 88. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. alcovertii Barceló, Fl. Baleares 3: 216. 1979), nom. nud.
Myrtus communis var. angustifolia L., Sp. Pl. 471. 1753.
Myrtus communis var. augustinii Sennen & Teodoro (?)
Myrtus communis var. baetica L., Sp. Pl. 471. 1753.
Myrtus communis var. balearicus Sennen in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 13. 1929.
Myrtus communis var. baui (Sennen & Malag.) Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 89. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. belgica L., Sp. Pl. 471. 1753.
Myrtus communis var. bercialis Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 89. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. camboanus Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 90. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. campestris Welw. , in sched., nom. nud.
Myrtus communis var. christinae Sennen & Teodoro (?)
Myrtus communis var. eugeniae Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 90. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. foucaudii Sennen in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 13. 1929.
Myrtus communis var. gallachii Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 89. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. gausseni Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 90. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. gibertii Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 88. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. grandifolia Sennen in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 13. 1929.
Myrtus communis var. italica L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2 673. 1763.
Myrtus communis var. jonssetii Sennen in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 13. 1929.
Myrtus communis var. latifolia Willk. in Willk. & Lange, Prodr. Fl. Hispan. 3: 191. 1874.
Myrtus communis var. leucocarpa DC., Prodr. 3: 239. 1828.
Myrtus communis var. lusitanica L., Sp. Pl. ed. 2 674. 1763.
Myrtus communis var. macrocarpa Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 89. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. melanocarpa DC., Prodr. 3: 239. 1828.
Myrtus communis var. microphylla P. Palau ex Bonafè, Fl. Mallorca 3: 216. 1979, nom. nud.
Myrtus communis var. microphylla Willk., Prodr. Fl. Hispan. (Willk. & Lange) 3: 191. 1874.
Myrtus communis var. morawieskiana Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 90. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. mucronata L., Sp. Pl. 471. 1753.
Myrtus communis var. neapolitana Sennen in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 13. 1929.
Myrtus communis var. petri-ludovici Sennen & Teodoro (?)
Myrtus communis var. rodesii Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 8. 1929.
Myrtus communis var. romana L., Sp. Pl. 1:471. 1753
Myrtus communis var. soleri Sennen in Bull. Inst. Cat. Hist. Nat. 32: 2. 1932.
Myrtus communis var. sylvatica Welw. , in sched., nom. nud.
Myrtus communis var. tarentina L., Sp. Pl. 471. 1753.
Myrtus communis var. theodori Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 8. 1929.
Myrtus eusebii Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 7. 1929.
Myrtus gervasii Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 8. 1929.
Myrtus italica (L.) Mill., Gard. Dict., ed. 8 : n° 5. 1768.
Myrtus italica (L.) Mill. ex Steud., Nom. Bot. 546. 1821.
Myrtus italica var. minorifolia Malag. , in sched., nom. nud.
Myrtus josephii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 14. 1929.
Myrtus josephii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 10. 1929.
Myrtus latifolius (Willk.) Sennen in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 7. 1929.
Myrtus littoralis Salisb., Prodr. : 353. 1796., nom. illeg.
Myrtus lusitanica (L.) Willd. ex Steud., Nomencl. Bot. 546. 1821.
Myrtus mirifolia Sennen & Malag., Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 9. 1929.
Myrtus mirifolia Sennen & Teodoro, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 13. 1929.
Myrtus mucronata (L.) Pers. ex Steud., Nom. Bot. 546. 1821.
Myrtus petri-ludovicii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 15. 1929.
Myrtus petri-ludovicii Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 11. 1929.
Myrtus retusa Willk., Suppl. Prodr. Fl. Hispan. 219. 1893), nom. nud.
Myrtus rodesii Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 10. 1929.
Myrtus romana (L.) Mill. ex Steud., Nom. Bot. 546. 1821.
Myrtus tarentina (L.) Mill. ex Steud., Nom. Bot. 546. 1821.
Myrtus tarentina Bertol., Fl. Ital., 5: 120. 1842, nom illeg. non Mill. ex Steud. (1821).
Myrtus theodori (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 16. 1929.
Myrtus theodori Sennen & Malag., Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 12. 1929.
Myrtus veneris Bubani, Fl. Pyr., 2: 639. 1899, nom. illeg.
Myrtus vidalii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen, Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France, 1929: 15. 1929.
Myrtus vidalii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Malag. in Bull. Soc. Dendrol. France 12. 1929.

Notes

Sometimes the cultivated, dwarf growing Myrtus communis 'Tarentina' is given scientific status.

References

Bruna, S., Mercuri, A., Cervelli, C., Braglia, L., De Benedetti, L. & Schiva, T. 2005. Genetic characterization of Myrtus communis L. wild genotypes using AFLP markers. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 683:431-436.

Flore Electronique (2000-2009). Association Tela Botanica. Institut de Botanique, Montpellier. 2009 Sept 06 [1].

Paiva, J. 1997. Myrtus. In S. Castroviejo & al. (eds.) Flora Iberica 8. Haloragaceae to Euphorbiaceae. CSIC. Real Jardín Botánico. Madrid. [2]

USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Myrtus communis L. in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 30 September 2009.

Vernacular names
čeština: myrta obecná
Deutsch: Brautmyrte
English: Myrtle
suomi: Myrtti
français: Myrte
magyar: Közönséges mirtusz
italiano: Mirto
polski: mirt zwyczajny
русский: мирт
sardu: Murta, murta durci, murtaucci
slovenščina: Navadna mirta
svenska: Myrten
中文: 香桃木,爱神木

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. It is also sometimes known as Corsican pepper. [2]

The medicinal properties of Myrtus communis were utilized as early as 600 B.C.E. Symbolically and ritually important in ancient times, it was used to represent honor, justice, prosperity, generosity, hope, love, and happiness. In Greco-Roman mythology, numerous gods were associated with the common myrtle and its flowers, such as Aphrodite and Demeter. Also a key part of various Jewish traditions, it is one of the four species used in the festival of Sukkot, and the Bible records its use in purification ceremonies. As a shrub that thrives along waterways, it was also seen as a symbol of restoration and recovery.[3]

In Europe during the Renaissance, it came to be best known as a symbol of love, which led to the ongoing tradition of the flower as part of the wedding bouquet.

For uses and further historical significance, see Myrtus.
Description

The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5 metres (16 ft) tall.[4] The leaves are 2–5 centimetres (1–2 in) long, with a fragrant essential oil.[4]

The flowers are white or tinged with pink, with five petals and many stamens that protrude from the flower.[4] The fruit is an edible berry, blue-black when ripe.[4]

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 and anti-quorum sensing properties, helping against food spoilage.[5] Myrtus communis berries are also macerated in alcohol to make Mirto liqueur.

This species[6] and the more compact M. communis subsp. tarentina[7] have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[8] They are hardy but prefer a sheltered position in full sun.

References

The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 13 August 2016
USDA GRIN Taxonomy, retrieved 13 August 2016
Wright, Emily (Oct 27, 2020). "The Ancient Oils Collection" (podcast). Essential Oil Solutions. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
Cretan Flora: An illustrated guide to the flora of Crete, retrieved 13 August 2016
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.
"RHS Plantfinder - Myrtus communis". Retrieved 10 April 2018.
"RHS Plantfinder - Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina". Retrieved 10 April 2018.
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 64. Retrieved 10 April 2018.