myrtle \myr"tle\ m~er"t'l, n. f. myrtil bilberry, prop., a
   little myrtle, from myrte myrtle, l. myrtus, murtus, gr.
   my`rtos; cf. per. m=urd. bot.
   a species of the genus myrtus, especially myrtus
   communis. the common myrtle has a shrubby, upright stem,
   eight or ten feet high. its branches form a close, full head,
   thickly covered with ovate or lanceolate evergreen leaves. it
   has solitary axillary white or rosy flowers, followed by
   black several-seeded berries. the ancients considered it
   sacred to venus. the flowers, leaves, and berries are used
   variously in perfumery and as a condiment, and the
   beautifully mottled wood is used in turning.
   1913 webster

   note: the name is also popularly but wrongly applied in
         america to two creeping plants, the blue-flowered
         periwinkle and the yellow-flowered moneywort. in the
         west indies several myrtaceous shrubs are called
         myrtle.
         1913 webster

   bog myrtle, the sweet gale.

   crape myrtle. see under crape.

   myrtle warbler zool., a north american wood warbler
      dendroica coronata; -- called also myrtle bird,
      yellow-rumped warbler, and yellow-crowned warbler.

   myrtle wax. bot. see bayberry tallow, under bayberry.
      

   sand myrtle, a low, branching evergreen shrub leiophyllum
      buxifolium, growing in new jersey and southward.

   wax myrtle myrica cerifera. see bayberry.
      1913 webster
see also:
myrtus myrtus communis bog myrtle crape myrtle crape myrtle warbler 
dendroica coronata myrtle bird yellow-rumped warbler yellow-crowned warbler myrtle wax 
bayberry tallow bayberry sand myrtle leiophyllum buxifolium wax myrtle 
myrica cerifera 

leiophyllum buxifolium
     n : low-growing evergreen shrub of new jersey to florida grown
         for its many white star-shaped flowers and glossy foliage
         syn: sand myrtle
see also:
sand myrtle