Myrtle
Myrtus communis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Myrtales Family: Myrtaceae Genus: Myrtus L.
Species
Myrtus communis L. Myrtus nivellei Batt. & Trab. Myrtus communis - image taken on 20 June 2004, on the slopes of Mount Carmel, Israel. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Plant (disambiguation). ... Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Magnoliopsida is the botanical name for a class: this name is formed by replacing the termination -aceae in the name Magnoliaceae by the termination -opsida (Art 16 of the ICBN). ... Families See text. ... Genera 130; see list The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ... Carl Linnaeus, Latinized as Carolus Linnaeus, also known after his ennoblement as  , (May 23, 1707[1] – January 10, 1778), was a Swedish botanist, physician and zoologist[2] who laid the foundations for the modern scheme of nomenclature. ...

The Myrtle (Myrtus) is a genus of one or two species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, native to southern Europe and north Africa. It was thought to be sacred to the Greek goddess of love, lust and beauty: Aphrodite. They are evergreen shrubs or small trees, growing to 5 m tall. The leaves are entire, 3-5 cm long, with a pleasantly fragrant essential oil. The star-like flowers have five petals and sepals, and an amazingly large number of stamens. Petals are usually white, with globose blue-black berries containing several seeds. The flowers are pollinated by insects, and the seeds dispersed by birds which feed on the berries. Classes Magnoliopsida - Dicots Liliopsida - Monocots The flowering plants or angiosperms are the most widespread group of land plants. ... Genera 130; see list The Myrtaceae or Myrtle family are a family of dicotyledon plants, placed within the order Myrtales. ... For other uses, see Europe (disambiguation). ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... A broom shrub in flower A shrub or bush is a horticultural rather than strictly botanical category of woody plant, distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and lower height, usually less than 6 m tall. ... The coniferous Coast Redwood, the tallest tree species on earth. ... Look up foliage in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An essential oil is a concentrated, hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aromatic compounds from plants. ... For other uses, see Flower (disambiguation). ... Stamens of the Amaryllis with prominent anthers carrying pollen Insects, while collecting nectar, unintentionally transfer pollen from one flower to another, bringing about pollination The stamen (from Latin stamen meaning thread of the warp) is the male organ of a flower. ... Several types of berries from the market. ... A ripe red jalapeño cut open to show the seeds For other uses, see Seed (disambiguation). ... Orders Subclass Apterygota Archaeognatha (bristletails) Thysanura (silverfish) Subclass Pterygota Infraclass Paleoptera (Probably paraphyletic) Ephemeroptera (mayflies) Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) Infraclass Neoptera Superorder Exopterygota Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) Plecoptera (stoneflies) Embioptera (webspinners) Zoraptera (angel insects) Dermaptera (earwigs) Orthoptera (grasshoppers, etc) Phasmatodea (stick insects) Blattodea (cockroaches) Isoptera (termites) Mantodea (mantids) Psocoptera... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ...

The Common Myrtle Myrtus communis, is widespread in the Mediterranean region and is also by far the most commonly cultivated. The other species, Saharan Myrtle M. nivellei, is restricted to the Tassili n'Ajjer mountains in southern Algeria and the Tibesti Mountains in Chad, where it occurs in small areas of sparse relict woodland near the centre of the Sahara Desert; it is listed as an endangered species. However, some botanists are not convinced that M. nivellei is sufficiently distinct to be treated as a separate species. The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... Landsat image of the Tassili nAjjer The Tassili nAjjer (Arabic: تصلة ناجر) is a mountain range in the Sahara desert in southeast Algeria. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Mountain ranges | Stratovolcanoes | Hotspot volcanoes | Mountains of Chad | Volcanoes of Chad ... The Sahara is the worlds second largest desert (second to Antarctica), over 9,000,000 km² (3,500,000 mi²), located in northern Africa and is 2. ... The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species continuing to survive either in the present day or the future. ... Botany is the scientific study of plant life. ...

Modern uses

Myrtle is used in the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to produce an aromatic liqueur called "Mirto"' by macerating it in alcohol. It is known as one of the national drinks of Sardinia ^[1]. There are two varieties of this drink: the "Mirto Rosso" (red) produced by macerating the berries, and the "Mirto Bianco" (white) produced from the leaves. For the place in the United States, see Sardinia, Ohio. ... For other uses, see Corsica (disambiguation). ... Mirto is a liqueur popular in Sardinia, obtained from the myrtle plant through the alcoholic maceration of the berries or a compound of berries and leaves. ... Macerating refers to softening or breaking into pieces with liquid. ...

Uses in myth and ritual

In Jewish liturgy, it is one of the four sacred plants of Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, rationalized as for its pleasant aroma. The leaves are held by the worshippers in the synagogue during the prayers. Jewish services are the prayers recited as part of observance of Judaism. ... Sukkot (Hebrew: סוכות or סֻכּוֹת,  ; booths. ...

In Greek mythology and ritual the myrtle was sacred to the goddesses Aphrodite^[2] and also Demeter: Artemidorus asserts that in interpreting dreams “a myrtle garland signifies the same as an olive garland, except that it is especially auspicious for farmers because of Demeter and for women because of Aphrodite. For the plant is sacred to both goddesses.”^[3] Pausanias explains that one of the Graces in the sanctuary at Elis holds a myrtle branch because “the rose and the myrtle are sacred to Aphrodite and connected with the story of Adonis, while the Graces are of all deities the nearest related to Aphrodite.” Myrtle is the garland of Iacchus, according to Aristophanes,^[4] and of the victors at the Theban Iolaea, held in honour of the Theban hero Iolaus.^[5] The bust of Zeus found at Otricoli (Sala Rotonda, Museo Pio-Clementino, Vatican) Greek mythology is the body of stories belonging to the Ancient Greeks concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. ... The Birth of Venus, (detail) by Sandro Botticelli, 1485 For other uses, see Aphrodite (disambiguation). ... This article is about the grain goddess Demeter. ... Artemidorus Daldianus or Ephesius was a professional diviner and author known for an extant five-volume Greek work Oneirocritica, (English: The Interpretation of Dreams). ... Pausanias (Greek: ) was a Greek traveller and geographer of the 2nd century A.D., who lived in the times of Hadrian, Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. ... Elis, or Eleia (Greek, Modern: Ήλιδα Ilida, Ancient/Katharevousa: Ήλις, also Ilis, Doric: Άλις) is an ancient district within the modern prefecture of Ilia. ... Adonis is an archetypal life-death-rebirth deity in Greek mythology, and a central cult figure in various mystery religions. ... In Greek mythology, Iacchus is an uncertain person. ... Sketch of Aristophanes Aristophanes (Greek: , ca. ... Thebes (Demotic Greek: Θήβα — Thíva; Katharevousa: — Thêbai or Thívai) is a city in Greece, situated to the north of the Cithaeron range, which divides Boeotia from Attica, and on the southern edge of the Boeotian plain. ... In Greek mythology, Iolaus (Greek: ΄Ιόλαος) was a son of Iphicles and thus a nephew of Heracles. ...

In Rome, Virgil explains that “the poplar is most dear to Alcides, the vine to Bacchus, the myrtle to lovely Venus, and his own laurel to Phoebus.”^[6] At the Veneralia, women bathed wearing crowns woven of myrtle branches, and myrtle was used in wedding rituals The Veneralia (April 1) was the festival of Venus Verticordia, the goddess of love and beauty. ...

Related plants

Many other related species native to South America, New Zealand and elsewhere, previously classified in a wider interpretation of the genus Myrtus, are now treated in other genera, Eugenia, Lophomyrtus, Luma, Rhodomyrtus, Syzygium, Ugni, and at least a dozen other genera. The name "myrtle" is also used to refer to unrelated plants in several other genera: "Crepe myrtle" (Lagerstroemia, Lythraceae), "Wax myrtle" (Myrica, Myricaceae), and "Myrtle" or "Creeping myrtle" (Vinca, Apocynaceae). South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... species numerous; see text Eugenia is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the myrtle family (Myrtaceae). ... Species See text. ... Species Four species, including: Luma apiculata Luma chequen Luma is a genus of four species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southwestern South America. ... Species About 500; see text Syzygium is a genus of flowering plants, belonging to the myrtle family Myrtaceae. ... Species About 10 species, including: Ugni candollei Ugni lanceolata Ugni molinae Ugni myricoides Ugni philippii Ugni poeppigii Ugni selkirkii Ugni is a genus of about 10 species of plants in the myrtle family Myrtaceae, native to western South America and Central America from the Valdivian temperate rain forests of southern... Species About 50, including: Lagerstroemia indica Lagerstroemia speciosa The Crape-myrtles Lagerstroemia are a genus of about 50 species of deciduous and evergreen trees or large shrubs native to east Asia and Australia. ... Genera 32 (28); see text. ... Species About 35 species, including: Myrica adenophora Myrica californica - California Bayberry Myrica cerifera - Wax-myrtle Myrica esculenta Myrica faya - Faya Bayberry Myrica gale - Sweet Gale or Bog-myrtle Myrica hartwegii - Sierra Bayberry Myrica heterophylla Myrica holdrigeana Myrica inodora - Scentless Bayberry Myrica nana Myrica parvifolia Myrica pensylvanica - Northern Bayberry Myrica pubescens... Genera Canacomyrica Guillaumin Comptonia LHer. ... Vinca is Vinca, a botanical genus; see Periwinkle (plant). ... Genera See Taxonomy and Genera. ...

Footnotes

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 169th day of the year (170th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Greek Wikisource has original text related to this article: The Frogs Frogs (Βάτραχοι (Bátrachoi)) is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. ... Pindar (or Pindarus) (probably born 522 BC in Cynoscephalae, a village in Boeotia; died 443 BC in Argos), was perhaps the greatest of the nine lyric poets of ancient Greece. ... An eclogue is a poem in a classical style on a pastoral subject. ...

External links

• Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.), from Gernot Katzer's Spice Pages

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