Myrtle ( lat. Mȳrtus ) is a genus of evergreen woody plants with white fluffy flowers containing essential oils of the Myrtaceae family .
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 Myrtle ordinary ( Myrtus communis ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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Myrtus L. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Myrtle was also called a wreath of flowering shoots of such a tree or its branch - a symbol of silence, peace and pleasure.
Content
The origin of the word
The word myrtle (a) is borrowed directly from the Greek language or through the Latin language in the second half of the 17th century. It was first noted, apparently, in the form of myrtle in the "Proskinitarium of the places of the holy city of Jerusalem " in 1686. ("... kromѣ maslin ... have dates, murtii , cypresses ..."). Compare also in the form of the adjective Murtov - "myrtle", recorded in the Gennadiev Bible in 1499. In the form of a feminine myrtle, it is noted in the Weisman lexicon of 1731, in the Dictionary of Azerbaijan in 1789 it is given in the form of a masculine and feminine: myrtle and myrtle . Fluctuations in the genus are reflected in subsequent dictionaries ; Until recently, dictionaries give both forms. Perhaps the feminine form indicates borrowing from the Greek language , in Latin it is a masculine word.
Latin myrtus “myrtle, a southern evergreen plant that contains essential oil in leaves ” is from the Greek language , where μύρτο мир myrtle is a derivative of μυρρα “ myrrh , liquid incense ”, which has a correspondence in Semitic languages [2] .
Botanical Description
Common myrtle ( Myrtus communis L. ) - an evergreen shrub 2 m high.
The leaves are leathery, opposite, on short petioles, dark green. The flowers are small, bisexual, axillary, solitary, on thin pedicels, white. Fruits - berries are round or ovoid (elliptical) in shape, the size of a pea, bluish-black or white in color. In each fruit, up to 15 seeds are formed.
Economic Significance and Application
The leaves of myrtle contain essential oil, which was used to make incense. Myrtle was a sign of glory and good deeds. Myrtle wreath with roses in ancient times was a favorite wedding decoration.
At the English court, myrtle wreaths and bouquets are required for the marriage of royal blood. This custom was introduced by Queen Victoria (1819-1901), who personally planted in her gardens a tiny twig of myrtle, taken from the wedding bouquet of her daughter, who married the German emperor. The process has taken root, has grown in a tree, and later Victoria always put a branch torn from it into the wedding bouquet of her next daughter or granddaughter. Until now, in the bouquet of every bride of the British royal house there is always a myrtle branch from the royal garden.
Mythology
In ancient times, myrtle was an attribute of the goddess Venus and her three maidservants - three graces .
In the Renaissance, the evergreen myrtle began to symbolize eternal love, especially marital fidelity.
The very word "myrtle" is of Greek origin. Legend has it that the nymph Mirsina , whom Athena herself admired and admired, defeated this supreme goddess of Olympus in running competitions. Envy overshadowed the admiration of the beloved, and Athena killed the nymph in revenge for the hurt pride. But having come to her senses, she was horrified and began to beg the advice of the Olympic gods so that they would leave her at least some memory of Mirsin. The gods took pity, and a graceful plant, like the nymph herself, grew from the body of the deceased - a myrtle. According to legend, Aphrodite was crowned with a wreath from myrtle during the famous dispute, due to which Paris gave her his apple. Since then, myrtle has become a favorite flower of the goddess of love and beauty, sometimes she even called herself Mirthea. Around the temples of Aphrodite, many myrtle bushes were planted, and during the annual festivities in honor of this goddess, everyone was decorated with myrtle wreaths.
From the ancient Greeks, the cult of myrtle passed to the Romans . Myrtle is repeatedly mentioned in the Bible [3] .
Myrtle is one of four plants that Jews are ordered to take on the Feast of Tabernacles [4] .
According to ancient Arabian beliefs, the myrtle adorned the gardens of paradise , and when the first people were expelled from paradise , Adam brought along a myrtle branch to remind people of these blessed times.
Views
According to the database of The Plant List , the genus includes 3 species [5] :
- Myrtus communis L. - Common myrtle
- Myrtus nivelii Batt. & Trab. - Myrtle Sahara
- Myrtus phyllireaefolia ( A. Rich. ) Kuntze
Blooming white myrtle
Fruits of myrtle
See also
- Myrtle Chinese is a plant of the Rutov family.
Notes
- ↑ For the conventionality of specifying the class of dicotyledons as a superior taxon for the plant group described in this article, see the APG Systems section of the Dicotyledonous article .
- ↑ Etymological Dictionary of the Russian Language / Ed. ed. A.F. Zhuravlev and N.M. Shansky. - M .: Publishing House of Moscow State University, 2007 .-- T. 10: M. - 400 p. - ISBN 978-5-211-05375-5 .
- ↑ Myrtle // Biblical Encyclopedia of Archimandrite Nicephorus . - M. , 1891-1892.
- ↑ Myrtle // Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron . - SPb. , 1908-1913.
- ↑ Myrtus . The Plant List . Version 1.1. (2013). Date of treatment January 24, 2017.
Literature
- Myrtle // Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary : in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.