Myrtus communis
species of plant
Myrtus communis, the common myrtle or true myrtle, is an Old World species of flowering plant in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. It forms an evergreen shrub.
Description
The plant is an evergreen shrub or small tree, growing to 5 metres (16 feet) tall. The leaves are 2–5 centimetres (1–2 in) long, with a fragrant essential oil.
The flowers are white or tinged with pink, with five petals and many stamens that protrude from the flower. The fruit is an edible berry that is blue-black when ripe.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to southern Europe, North Africa, Western Asia, Macaronesia, and the Indian subcontinent.
Cultivation
This species and the more compact M. communis subsp. tarentina have won the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. They are hardy but prefer a sheltered position in full sun.
This brief starts where responsible research should: with the source description of “Myrtus communis” as species of plant. Everything that follows is an evidence route, not borrowed authority.
Why this record matters
The subject matters to the science & nature register because the source frames it as species of plant. Its deeper value depends on whether names, dates, institutions and citations support that framing.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Aug 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q6122027. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
A general summary may omit uncertainty, sample limits or methodological disagreement that is explicit in the technical record. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
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Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
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Questions for further research
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This entry incorporates text from “Myrtus communis” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.