MYRTUS, in botany, the MYRTUS; a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the icofandria class of plants. The most remarkable species are, 1. The communis, or common myrtle-tree, rises with a shrubby, upright, firm stem, branching numerously all around into a close full head, rising eight or ten feet high; very closely garnished with oval-lanceolate, entire, mostly opposite leaves, from half an inch to an inch and a half long, and one broad, on short footstalks; and numerous, small, pale flowers from the axillae, singly on each footstalk, having diphyllous involucrems; each flower succeeded by a small, oval, dark-purple berry.
The most material varieties are, Broad-leaved Roman myrtle, with oval, shining, green leaves, an inch and an half long, and one broad; and is remarkably floriferous. Gold-striped broad-leaved Roman myrtle. Broad-leaved Dutch myrtle, with spear-shaped, sharp-pointed, dark-green leaves, an inch long, and about three quarters of one broad. Double flowered Dutch myrtle. Broad-leaved Jews myrtle, having the leaves placed by threes at each joint; by which particular circumstance this species is in universal estimation among the Jews in their religious ceremonies, particularly in decorating their tabernacles; and for which purpose many gardeners about London cultivate this variety with particular care, to sell to the above people, who are often obliged to purchase it at the rate of sixpence or a shilling for a small branch: for the true sort, having the leaves exactly by threes, is very scarce, and is a curiosity; but by care in its propagation, taking only the perfectly ternate-leaved shoots for cuttings, it may be increased fast enough; and is worth the attention of the curious, and particularly those who raise myrtles for the London markets. Orange-leaved Spanish myrtle, with oval spear-shaped leaves, an inch and a half long or more, and one broad, in clusters round the branches, and resemble the shape and colour of orange-tree leaves. Gold-striped-leaved orange myrtle. Common upright Italian myrtle, with its branches and leaves growing more erect, the leaves oval, lanceolate-shaped, acute-pointed, and near an inch long, and half a one broad. Silver-striped upright Italian myrtle. White-berried upright Italian myrtle. Portugal acute-leaved myrtle, with spear-shaped, oval, acute-pointed leaves, about an inch long. Box-leaved myrtle, with weak branches, small, oval, obtuse, lucid-green, closely-placed leaves. Striped box-leaved myrtle. Rosemary-leaved myrtle, hath erect branches, small, narrow, lanceolate, acute-pointed, shining, green, very fragrant leaves. Silver-striped rosemary-leaved myrtle. Thyme-leaved
myrtle, with very small closely-placed leaves. Nutmeg-myrtle, with erect branches and leaves; the leaves oval, acute-pointed, and finely scented like a nutmeg. Broad-leaved nutmeg-myrtle. Silver-striped leaved ditto. Cristated or cock's comb myrtle, frequently called bird's nest myrtle, hath narrow, sharp-pointed leaves, cristated at intervals.
These are the principal varieties of the myrtus communis; but of which sorts there are several intermediate varieties of less note; and more may still be obtained from seed, though the plants are rarely raised from seed in this country, but mostly by slips and cuttings.
They are all beautiful ever-green shrubs of exceeding fragrance; exotics originally of the southern parts of Europe, and of Asia and Africa, and consequently in this country require shelter of a green-house in winter: all of which, though rather of the small-leaved kind, have their foliage closely placed, and remain all the year, and are very floriferous in summer; and when there is a collection of the different sorts, they afford an agreeable source of variety with each other. They therefore claim universal esteem as principal green-house plants, especially as they are all so easily raised from cuttings, and of such easy culture as to be attainable in every garden, where there is any sort of green-house, or garden-frames furnished with glasses for protecting them in winter from frost: but some of the broad-leaved sorts are so hardy as to succeed in the full ground, against a south wall and other warm exposures, all the year, by only allowing them shelter of mats occasionally in severe frosty weather: so that a few of these sorts may also be exhibited in a warm situation in the shrubbery: observing, however, all the sorts are principally to be considered as green-house plants, and a due portion of them must always remain in pots to move to that department in winter.
Stove-kinds.—There are several species of the stove-temperature, as being natives of the Indies: but there are not more than the four following sorts commonly met with in the British gardens, all of which are beautiful ever-greens, with larger leaves than the myrtus communis; and are mostly strong aromatics.
2. The zelanica, or Ceylon white-berried myrtle, hath a shrubby upright stem, branching erectly six or eight feet high; oval, shining-green, opposite, very odoriferous leaves, on short footstalks; and all the branches terminated by pedunculi, each sustaining many flowers; succeeded by snowy-white berries, but rarely in Britain.
3. The pimenta, pimento, or Jamaica all-spice-tree, rises with an upright tree-stem, branching regularly 20 or 30 feet high, having a smooth brown bark; large, oblong-oval, stiff, shining, very odoriferous leaves, like those of bay, placed alternate; and at the sides and termination of the branches large loose bunches of greenish flowers; succeeded by round, dusky, hard, spicery fruit, called all-spice, or Jamaica-pepper.—This species is an excellent aromatic; its leaves are remarkably fine-scented; and its fruit is that valuable spice, Jamaica pepper, or all-spice, so called, because it is supposed to partake of the odour and taste of most other spices. The tree grows in great abundance in the island of Jamaica, where its fruit is made a considerable branch of trade. It is generally gathered a little before
Myrtus. before it acquires full growth, and dried in the sun 10 or 12 days; and is then packed up ready for exportation to Europe.
4. The dioica, or dioecious American myrtle, rises with an upright tree-stem, branching many feet high; oblong, thick, opposite, odoriferous leaves; and at the axillaries and ends of the branches pedunculi dividing into trichotomous panicles of dioecious flowers; succeeded by small, globular, spicery berries. Every part of the tree is a strong aromatic.
5. The brasiliana, or Brazilian inodorus myrtle, rises with a branching stem, having a whitish bark: broad, oval, shining, opposite, inodorous or scentless leaves, and naked pedunculi, sustaining solitary flowers, with ciliated petals; succeeded by large oval fruit.
All these five species of myrtus are exotics of the shrub and tree kind; though in this country, as being confined in pots, the largest of them assume only the growth of moderate shrubs. The first species, common myrtle, is considerably the most noted species of this genus in this country; where in most of our greenhouse collections one or other of the varieties is found in tolerable plenty; but all the varieties of it highly merit notice. The other four species are rare in Britain: they, however, are retained in many curious gardens, in the stove-collection; more particularly the pimento, which is a very beautiful odoriferous evergreen, and exhibits a fine variety in the stove at all seasons. In short, all the species, both greenhouse and stove-kinds, have a pretty effect as evergreens; and some of the sorts flower very ornamentally, particularly of the common myrtle.
With respect to flowering, all the varieties of the myrtus communis flower here in July and August, most of which are very floriferous: the broad-leaved Roman kind, in particular, is often covered with flowers, which in some of the sorts are succeeded here by berries ripening in winter. Some of the stove kinds also flower here, but are rarely succeeded by fruit in England.
The flowers, however, of most of the sorts are small, but numerous; and are all formed each of five oval petals, and many stamens.
As all the species require occasional shelter here, they must be kept always in pots, for moving to the proper places of shelter, according to their nature; the myrtus communis and varieties to the greenhouse in winter; the others to the stove, to remain all the year: therefore let all the sorts be potted in light rich earth, and, as they advance in growth, shift them into larger pots, managing the myrtles as other greenhouse shrubs, and the stove-kinds as other woody exotics of the stove.
But, as we before observed, the broad-leaved myrtus communis, being harder than the smaller-leaved kinds, some of them may also be turned out into the full ground in a warm situation against a wall, &c. allowing them shelter of mats in frosty weather, and mulch the ground over their roots: they will frequently succeed tolerably, and effect a good variety in such places. They may all be propagated by slips, cuttings, or layers.
The leaves and flowers of common upright myrtle have an astringent quality, and are used for cleansing the skin, and strengthening the fibres. From the flowers and young tops is drawn a distilled water that is
detergent, astringent, cosmetic, and used in gargles. A decoction of the flowers and leaves is applied in fumigations. The berries have a binding detergent quality; and the chemical oil obtained from them is excellent for the hair, and used in pomatum and most other external beautifiers of the face and skin. As an internal medicine, these berries have little or no merit.