myrtle Myrtaceae Myrtus
communis L.
symbol: MYCO9
Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen, ovate, thick and leathery, entire margins, to 2 inches long; shiny dark green above, yellow green below; often tightly packed on the stems; fragrant when crushed.
Flower: Species is monoecious; white, five petalled, with long and numerous yellow-white stamens; appearing in late summer; fragrant.
Fruit: An aromatic blue-black berry to 1/2 inch, maturing in the fall.
Twig: Stiff, gray-brown, aromatic.
Bark: Red brown, initially brown and becoming scaly.
Form: A large shrub or small tree to 20 feet.
Looks like: laurel