(anc. geogr.), a small island near Caryae in Euboea, which gave name to the Mare Myrtoum. Others, according to Pausanias, derive the appellation from Myrio, the name of a woman. Strabo extends this sea between Crete, Argia, and Attica, Pausanias beginning it at Euboea, joins it at Helena, Myrton, a distant island, with the Aegean sea. Ptolemy carries it to the coast of Caria. Pliny says, that the Cyclades and Sporades are bounded on the west by the Myrtoan coast of Attica.

botany, the Myrtle: A genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the icosandra clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 19th order, Hesperidea. The calyx is quinquefied, superior; there are five petals; the berry is bilocular or trilocular. There are 14 species, of which the most remarkable 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 axils, singly on each footstalk, having diphyllous involucres; 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 which is remarkably floriferous. Gold-stripped 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-stripped 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 a half one broad. Silver-stripped 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-stripped rosmery-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-stripped leaved ditto. Crinkled or cock's-comb myrtle, frequently called bird's-nest myrtle. Myrtle, hath narrow, sharp-pointed leaves, crisped at intervals. These 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 greenhouse 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 greenhouse, or garden-frames furnished with glases 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 frothy 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 greenhouse plants, and a due portion of them must always remain in pots to move to that department in winter.

2. The pimento, pimento, Jamaica pepper, or all spice tree, grows above 30 feet in height and two in circumference; the branches near the top are much divided and thickly befit with leaves, which by their continual verdure always gives the tree a beautiful appearance; the bark is very smooth externally, and of a grey colour; the leaves vary in shape and in size, but are commonly about four inches long, veined, pointed, elliptical, and of a deep shining green colour; the flowers are produced in bunches or panicles, and stand upon subdividing or trichotomous stalks, which usually terminate the branches; the calyx is cut into four roundish segments; the petals are also four, white, small, reflex, oval, and placed opposite to each other between the segments of the calyx; the filaments are numerous, longer than the petals, spreading, of a greenish white colour, and rise from the calyx and upper part of the germen; the antherae are roundish, and of a pale yellow colour; the style is smooth, simple, and erect; the stigma is obtuse; the germen becomes a round succulent berry, containing two kidney-shaped flatish seeds. This tree is a native of New Spain and the West India islands. In Jamaica it grows very plentifully; and in June, July, and August, puts forth its flowers, which, with every part of the tree, breathes an aromatic fragrance. The berries when ripe are of a dark purple colour, and full of a sweet pulp, which the birds devour greedily, and muting the seeds, afterwards propagate these trees in all parts of the woods. It is thought that the seeds passing through them, in this manner, undergo some fermentation, which fits them better for vegetating than those gathered immediately from the tree.

The pimento is a most beautiful odoriferous evergreen, and exhibits a fine variety in the stove at all seasons. It was first introduced and cultivated in this country by Mr Philip Miller in 1739. 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. The pimento also flowers in the stove with great beauty and luxuriance. The flowers of most of the sorts are small, but numerous; and are all formed each of five oval petals and many stamens. As all these plants require protection in this country, 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 pimento and other delicate kinds 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-kings as other woody exotics of the stove.

Properties, &c. The leaves and flowers of common upright myrtle have an astringent quality, and are used for cleansing the skin, fixing the teeth when loosened by the sourly, 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 fomentations. The berries have a binding detergent quality; and the chemical oil obtained from them is excellent for the hair, and used in pomatums and most other external beautifiers of the face and skin. As an internal medicine, these berries have little or merit.

In the Dictionnaire portatif d'Histoire Naturelle, a fact is related, which, if true, tends to show the strongly astringent quality of myrtle. "Myrtle (says he) is likewise the base of a pomade called pommade de la Comtesse," and well known on account of an extraordinary historical fact. One of those gay youths who flutter about the toilets of the fair, happened one day to be left alone in the storehouse of the graces. With eager curiosity he examined the perfumes, the smelling bottles, the perfumed powder, the essences, and the cosmetics. To give more of the vermilion and greater pliancy to his lips, and to remove some disagreeable eruptions, he lightly spreads with his indiscreet finger the fatal pomade, looks at himself in the glass, and contemplates his beauty with admiration. The lady enters; he wishes to speak, but his lips contracted, and he could only stammer. The lady looked at him with astonishment; at length casting her eyes on the toilet, she discovered by the open pot the cause of the mistake, and enjoyed a hearty laugh at the expense of her admirer, whose confusion announced his indiscretion."

Pimento berries are chiefly imported into Britain from Jamaica; whence the name Jamaica pepper. It is also called all-spice, from its taste and flavour being supposed to resemble those of many different spices mixed together. It is one of the staple articles of Jamaica; where the pimento walks are upon a large scale, some of them covering several acres of ground. When the berries arrive at their full growth, but before they begin to ripen, they are picked from the branches, and exposed to the sun for several days, till they are sufficiently dried; this operation is to be conducted with great care, observing that on the first and second day's exposure exposure they require to be turned very often, and always to be preserved from rain and the evening dews. After this process is completed, which is known by the colour and rattling of the seeds in the berries, they are put up in bags or hogheads for the market. This spice, which was at first brought over for dietetic uses, has been long employed in the shops as a succedaneum to the more costly oriental aromatics; it is moderately warm, of an agreeable flavour, somewhat resembling that of a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmegs. Distilled with water it yields an elegant essential oil, so ponderous as to sink in the water, in taste moderately pungent, in smell and flavour approaching to oil of cloves, or rather a mixture of cloves and nutmegs. To rectified spirit it imparts, by maceration or digestion, the whole of its virtue: in distillation it gives over very little to this menstruum, nearly all its active matter remaining concentrated in the inspissated extract. Pimento can scarcely be considered as a medicine: it is, however, an agreeable aromatic, and on this account is not unfrequently employed with different drugs, requiring such a grateful adjunct. Both the pharmacopoeias direct an aqueous and spirituous distillation to be made from these berries, and the Edinburgh college order also the oleum effusivae piperis Jamaicensis.

MYRIA, a country of Asia Minor, generally divided into Major and Minor. Myria Minor was bounded on the north and west by the Propontis and Bithynia, and Phrygia on the southern and eastern borders. Myria Major had Æolia on the south, Ægean on the west, and Phrygia on the north and east. Its chief cities were Cyzicus, Lampacus, &c. The inhabitants were once very warlike; but they greatly degenerated, and the words Myrium ultimus was emphatically used to signify a person of no merit. The ancients generally hired them to attend their funerals as mourners, because they were naturally melancholy and inclined to shed tears. They were once governed by monarchs. They are supposed to be descended from the Myrians of Europe, a nation who inhabited that part of Thrace which was situated between Mount Haemus and the Danube.