Eastern slopes of Bric Mergazze (Municipality of Varazze, Province of Savona, Liguria, IT). Latitude (WGS84): 44.3860 N. Longitude (WFS84): 8.6176 E. Elevation: 122 m (400 ft) Date: June 24, 2022. --- TAXONOMICAL INFORMATIONS Familia: Myrtaceae Juss. Species: Myrtus communis L. Subspecies: Myrtus communis L. subsp. communis First publication references: Sp. Pl.: 471 (1753). Synonyms: Myrtus acuta Mill.; Myrtus acutifolia (L.) Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus angustifolia Raf.; Myrtus baetica (L.) Mill.; Myrtus baui Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus belgica (L.) Mill.; Myrtus borbonis Sennen; Myrtus briquetii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus buxifolia Raf.; Myrtus christinae (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus eusebii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus gervasii; (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus italica Mill.; Myrtus josephi Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus lanceolata Raf.; Myrtus latifolia Raf.; Myrtus littoralis Salisb.; Myrtus macrophylla J. St.-Hil.; Myrtus major Garsault; Myrtus media Hoffmanns.; Myrtus microphylla J. St.-Hil.; Myrtus minima Mill.; Myrtus minor Garsault, des. inval.; Myrtus mirifolia Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus oerstedeana O.Berg; Myrtus petri-ludovici (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus rodesi Sennen & Teodoro; Myrtus romana (L.) Hoffmanns.; Myrtus romanifolia J. St.-Hil.; Myrtus sparsifolia O.Berg; Myrtus theodori Sennen; Myrtus veneris Bubani; Myrtus vidalii (Sennen & Teodoro) Sennen & Teodoro --- MORPHOLOGY AND FENOLOGY Life-form: phanerophyte. Description (M.S. Campbell, 1980): erect, much-branched shrub, up to 5 m. Twigs glandular-hairy when young. Leaves up to 5 cm, ovate-lanceolate, acute, entire, coriaceous, punctate, very aromatic when crushed. Flowers up to 3 cm in diameter, sweet-scented. Pedicels long, slender, with 2 small, caducous bracteoles. Petals suborbicular, white. Berry 7-10 x 6-8 mm, broadly ellipsoid to subglobose, usually blue-black when ripe. Flowering: from June to July but can bloom again in autumn. --- ECOLOGY AND CHOROLOGY Habitat: Mediterranean maquis, usually calcifuge. Vegetation belts: thermomediterranean, mesomediterranean. Edaphic preferences: Ca/Si; Si; Ser. Chorotype: Paleosubtropical. Global distribution (POWO, 2022): native to Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Azores, Baleares, Canary Is., Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., Eritrea, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Lebanon-Syria, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, Turkey, Yemen, ex-Yugoslavia. Introduced into California, Cape Provinces, Cuba, Leeward Is., Louisiana, Puerto Rico, Texas, Windward Is. Italian distribution (F. Bartolucci & alii, 2018): native in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria, Marches, Latium, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Apulia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily, Sardinia. Introduced into Lombardy. Recorded by mistake in Emilia Romagna. Notes: species with a large Mediterranean and Paleotropical (montane) range. In Liguria it is widespread, common and generally abundant along the coast (albeit with some distribution gaps) and on the hills closest to the littoral zone. It is absent in the valleys on the Po side. Regional protection: no. --- REFERENCES

• M.S. Campbell (1980) – M. communis L. In: T.G. Tutin, N.A.Burges, A.O. Chater, J.R. Edmondson, V.H. Heywood, D.M. Moore, D.H. Valentine, S.M. Walters & D.A. Webb (Eds.) Flora Europaea 2 (ed. 2). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, p. 303-304
• POWO (2022) – Plants of the World Online. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; www.plantsoftheworldonline.org/ Retrieved 06 November 2022.
• F. Bartolucci, L. Peruzzi, G. Galasso, A. Albano, A. Alessandrini, N. M. G. Ardenghi, G. Astuti, G. Bacchetta, S. Ballelli, E. Banfi, G. Barberis, L. Bernardo, D. Bouvet, M. Bovio, L. Cecchi, R. Di Pietro, G. Domina, S. Fascetti, G. Fenu, F. Festi, B. Foggi, L. Gallo, G. Gottschlich, L. Gubellini, D. Iamonico, M. Iberite, P. Jiménez-Mejías, E. Lattanzi, D. Marchetti, E. Martinetto, R. R. Masin, P. Medagli, N. G. Passalacqua, S. Peccenini, R. Pennesi, B. Pierini, L. Poldini, F. Prosser, F. M. Raimondo, F. Roma-Marzio, L. Rosati, A. Santangelo, A. Scoppola, S. Scortegagna, A. Selvaggi, F. Selvi, A. Soldano, A. Stinca, R. P. Wagensommer, T. Wilhalm & F. Conti (2018) – An updated checklist of the vascular flora native to Italy. Plant Biosystems – An International Journal Dealing with all Aspects of Plant Biology, 10.1080/11263504.2017.1419996, 152, 2, (179-303), (2018).