page_title: Myrtus
section_title: Medicinal
hierarchical_section_title: Myrtus / Uses / Medicinal
caption_attribution_description: English: Glass vial containing Myrtle Essential Oil
context_page_description: Myrtus, with the common name myrtle, is a genus of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae, described by Swedish botanist Linnaeus in 1753.
  Over 600 names have been proposed in the genus, but nearly all have either been moved to other genera or been regarded as synonyms. The genus Myrtus has three species recognised today:
  Myrtus communis – Common myrtle; native to the Mediterranean region in southern Europe.
  Myrtus nivellei – Saharan myrtle; native to North Africa.
  Myrtus phyllireaefolia
context_section_description: Myrtle, along with willow tree bark, occupies a prominent place in the writings of Hippocrates, Pliny, Dioscorides, Galen, and the Arabian writers. It has been prescribed for fever and pain by ancient physicians since at least 2,500 BC in Sumer.
  Myrtle's effects are due to high levels of salicylic acid, a compound related to aspirin and the basis of the modern class of drugs known as NSAIDs.
  In several countries, particularly in Europe and China, there has been a tradition for prescribing this substance for sinus infections. A systematic review of herbal medicines used for the treatment of rhinosinusitis concluded that the evidence that any herbal medicines are beneficial in the treatment of rhinosinusitis is limited, and that for Myrtus there is insufficient data to verify the significance of clinical results.
caption: Myrtle (Myrtus communis) essential oil in a clear glass vial
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