MYRTLE or Myrtus communis is ‘an evergreen shrub that grows wild in the maquis, but is also a garden plant. Against the light, the leaves show dots, the numerous glands containing fragrant and volatile oils. The crushed leaves produce ‘Eau d’Anges‘, which is used in making perfumes. Myrtle appears in Arab legends, Egyptian women decorated their hair with it, the Persians regarded it as holy and the Romans used it for garlands and wreaths. In classical Greece, it was associated with Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love. The small black berries were eaten like nuts,’ (Vedel, 1978, p68).

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Trees and shrubs of the Mediterranean by Helge Vedel, translated from the Danish by Aubrey Rush (Penguin Guides, 1978), p68.