Can anyone help to identify this little shrub? This came over from Sweden in 1905 when my family immigrated here. The family has kept it going by propagating with clippings. My family has always referred to it as"Muurten" (not sure of the spelling), and I cannot find any such plant anywhere. It is a neat plant; Slow growing, and grows like a minniature tree. This plant must have been pretty special for my family to bring it with them from Sweden. Any help or suggestions in identifying this plant would be much appreciated. Thanks, Daniel Nelson
"Muurten" would be Swedish myrten, which is, as Paul suggests, myrtle (Myrtus communis). However, the leaves aren't quite right for that; myrtle leaves are broader, with a more tapered, pointed apex, and don't have the freckled glandular appearance your mystery plant has. Whatever it is, it isn't a Swedish native species, there's nothing like that native anywhere in northern Europe, so it will have been an introduced plant (as would myrtle too, that is native to the Mediterranean) Myrtle photo for comparison: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Myrtus_communis4.jpg
I would not be so sure it's not Myrtus communis. There are a number of odd forms of this species with different leaf shapes/sizes, some of them long-cultivated in various countries of Europe. See entry in the New R H S dictionary of gardening. In Sydney I have seen plants with leaves like this and flowers that look just like M. communis. At least one that I saw was in a cemetery, with the suspicion it was brought from the homeland of a migrant family. The twig features visible in the 3rd pic are a good match for Myrtus, and the dots on the leaves look like the oil dots of some Myrtaceae with very thin leaves, as on a shade-grown plant. If it's not M. communis then it may be one of the southern hemisphere members of the Myrtus alliance -- but that seems less likely in view of your plant's history.
Tony, Thanks very much for the information. One thing I wanted to mention is that this shrub has never produced any berries or fruit. On very rare occcasion, they have produced small white blooms. I think the bumps you are seeing on the leaves are dust. The leaves are actually quite smooth. Thanks for the information from everyone. Dan
I think I have found the correct cultivar. Here is a picture of Myrtus Communis Microphyllis which looks pretty close. I posted a link to Myrtus Communis Compacta which also looks pretty close http://www.ccfc.org/growers_members/growerinfo.aspx?grower=95&flower=151 . Tony, thanks especially for your input, you started my search for different cultivars. Dan http://jardin-mundani.info/myrtaceae/myrtusmicrophila.jpg
