Are evergreen shrubs or small trees, growing to 5 m tall. The leaves are entire, 3-5 cm long, with a pleasantly fragrant essential oil. The star-like flowers have five petals and sepals, and an amazingly large number of stamens. Petals are usually white, with globose blue-black berries containing several seeds.

Aromatic, balsamic, haemostatic and tonic (leaves); antiseptic (oil); carminative (fruit)

Plants for a Future
Myrtle

1,8-cineole, acetic acid, acetone, alpha-pinene, alpha-terpineol, beta-bisabolene, beta-elemene, beta-pinene, beta-selenene, borneol, bornyl-acetate, camphor, carvacrol, carvone, caryophyllene, caryophyllene-oxide, d-limonene, delta-3-carene, delta-cadinene, ellagic acid, gallic acid, gamma-terpinene, geraniol, hexanal, isoborneol, limonene, methyl-chavicol, methyl-eugenol, myrcene, myricetin, myricitrin, p-cymene, tannin, terpinen 4-ol, terpinolene, toluene, verbenone (plant); citric acid, mallic acid (fruit); linoleic acid, oleic acid, palmitic acid (seed)

In the treatment of urinary infections, digestive problems, vaginal discharge, bronchial congestion, sinusitis, dry coughs, cerebral affections, especially epilepsy (plant); for rheumatism (oil); dysentery, diarrhoea, haemorrhoids, internal ulceration and rheumatism (fruit)