The Forgotten Myrtle of the Alhambra Gardens of Gra nada: Restoring and Authenticating World Heritage

Abstract

n the Alhambra (Granada, Spain), and in other Moor ish locations, several individuals of the original variety of myrtle, the emblematic p lant of their gardens, have been identified and genetically authenticated. After mic rosatellite analysis, we differentiated between the wild form ( Myrtus communis L.) and two cultivated varieties: the one original to the Alhambra, the Moorish myrtle (subsp. baetica ), and the variety introduced in more modern times (subsp. tarentina ). The genetic and morphological differences betwee n these two varieties confirm the taxonomic distinctness of the subsp. baetica . With very few individuals known, this Moorish myrtle is on the ve rge of extinction. The genetic identification offers the opportunity to restore a key element of this 14th-century garden and enhance the authenticity of a World Heritage sit e. Keywords : Alhambra, Microsatellite, Mirtus communis , Subspecies, Taxon