| Myrtus nivellei | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Myrtales |
| Family: | Myrtaceae |
| Genus: | Myrtus |
| Species: | M. nivellei |
| Binomial name | |
| Myrtus nivellei | |
| Subspecies [1] | |
| |
Myrtus nivellei, the Saharan myrtle (Tuareg language: tefeltest), is a shrub endemic to the mountains of the central Sahara Desert. [2] It is found in a restricted range in the Tassili n'Ajjer Mountains in southern Algeria and southwestern Libya, and the Tibesti Mountains in northern Chad. [1]
It occurs in small areas of sparse relict woodland at montane elevations above the central Saharan desert plains. [2]
It is a traditional medicinal plant for the Tuareg people. [2]
Two subspecies are accepted. [1]
- Myrtus nivellei subsp. nivellei – Tassili n'Ajjer of southern Algeria and southwestern Libya
- Myrtus nivellei subsp. tibesticusQuézel – Tibesti of Chad