Myrtus nivellei


Myrtus nivellei, the Saharan myrtle, is a shrub endemic to the mountains of the central Sahara Desert. 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.
It occurs in small areas of sparse relict woodland at montane elevations above the central Saharan desert plains.
It is a traditional medicinal plant for the Tuareg people.
Two subspecies are accepted.
  • Myrtus nivellei subsp. nivellei – Tassili n'Ajjer of southern Algeria and southwestern Libya
  • Myrtus nivellei subsp. tibesticus – Tibesti of Chad