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| MaltaWildPlants.com by Stephen Mifsud |
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Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina (Tarentum Myrtle) |
Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina (MYRTACEAE.)
Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000. |
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| Nomenclature and Basic Information |
Species name : |
Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina(L.) Nyman
Published in Consp. Fl. Eur.: 245. 1879 |
Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.) |
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Plant Family : |
Myrtaceae
Juss. (The Myrtle Family)
6 species from the Myrtaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands. | English name(s) : | Tarentum Myrtle |
Maltese name(s) : |
Riħan tal-werqa żgħira, Riħan ta' l-Italja |
Status for Malta : |
Cultivated species. Introduced plants cultivated for agricultural or horticultural purposes but sometimes
can be occassionaly found as an escapee close to the site of their original cultivation. |
Frequency : |
Very Common Common Frequent Scarce Rare Very rare Extinct |
Growth form : |
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Macro-Phanerophyte ( high trees usually over 10 m high )
Germination [info]: Dicotyledon |
Legal Protection : |
Not legally protected till the last update of this website (2/Mar/2022) |
Red List (1989) : |
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands |
Flowering Time : |
May – August |
Colour of Flowers: |
White |
Toxicity: |
Not particularly toxic |
Name Derivation : |
Myrtus: The Greek name for the Myrtle which in Greek mythology this plant was held sacred to Aphrodite. In Christian religion, it has been associated with the Virgin probably due to its fragrance and white flowers. (Greek origin ); 2 = Further Info: [1].
communis subsp. tarentina:
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Planting in rural areas : |
Cannot be planted in the wild (rural areas) since the species may be invasive (see ERA guidelines) |
Remarks : |
Many imported Myrtle trees used in embellishment projects such as parks, roadsides, and public gardens are the non-native Myrtus communis subsp. tarentina. Refer to the paper by Mifsud (2009) which highlights the differences between the native and non-native myrtle trees (link to pdf found below). |
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Description, Habitat and Distribution | |
Habitat in Europe: |
Scrub; usually calcifuge. | |
Preferred habitat in Malta: |
Embellishment and ornamental tree along roads, traffic islands, parks and private gardens. | |
Botanical Description: |
Erect, much-branched shrub, up to 5 m. Twigs glandular-hairy when young. Leaves up to 2.5 cm, lanceolate, acute, entire, coriaceous, punctate, very aromatic when crushed, crowded and uniform along the branches. Flowers up to 2 cm in diameter, sweet-scented. Pedicels long, slender, with 2 small, caducous bracteoles. Petals suborbicular, white. Berry 7-9 x 6-7 mm, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, usually blue-black when ripe. | |
Distributional range: |
Mediterranean region and S. W. Europe. |
Distributional map in Europe
and the Mediterranean region (2018): |
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Occurrences in Europe.
(from Flora Europaea pre year 1993): |
Albania, the Azores, the Balaeric Islands, Corse, Crete, France (incl. Monaco and Channel Islands but excluding Corse), Greece, Spain (incl. Andorra but excl. the Balaerics), Italy (excl. Sicily and Sardignia), ex-Jugoslavia, Portugal, Sardinia, Sicily and/or Malta |
Occurrences in Europe and the Mediterranean region.
(from Euro+Med Checklist, 2019)
Country codes
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Co Cr Ga Hs It Ju Sa [Lu] |
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Atlas Flora Europaea
GBIF Distribution map
