Sukkah 33A

באסא מצראה דקיימי שבעה שבעה בחד קינא, דכי נתרי ארבעה, פשו להו תלתא. אמר אביי: שמע מינה האי אסא מצראה כשר להושענא.

in an Egyptian myrtle branch, which has 7 leaves emerging from each and every base, as even when 4 leaves, the majority, fall, 3 remain, and its dense-leaved nature remains intact. Abaye said: Learn from it that the rabbis hold that this Egyptian myrtle branch is fit for use as a hoshana in the mitzva of the 4 species.

פשיטא! מהו דתימא הואיל ואית ליה שם לווי, לא מתכשר ⁠— קא משמע לן. ואימא הכי נמי! ״עץ עבות״ אמר רחמנא, מכל מקום.

The Talmud asks: This is obvious. It is a myrtle branch. Why would it be unfit? The Talmud answers: Lest you say that since its name is accompanied by a modifier, i.e., it is not called simply a myrtle branch but an Egyptian myrtle branch, it is unfit. Therefore, Abaye teaches us that it is fit for use. The Talmud asks: And say it is indeed so, that since its name is accompanied by a modifier it is unfit. The Talmud answers: It is fit, as “dense-leaved tree” is stated by God. As the Torah did not mandate the use of a specific species but rather listed an identifying characteristic, a tree with that characteristic is fit in any case, and the modifier is irrelevant.

תנו רבנן: יבשו רוב עליו ונשארו בו שלשה בדי עלין לחין כשר. ואמר רב חסדא: ובראש כל אחד ואחד.

A baraita states: If most of its leaves dried and 3 branches of moist leaves remained on it, it is fit. Rav Ḥisda said: And that is the ruling only if the moist leaves are at the top of each and every one of the branches. However, if the moist leaves are elsewhere on the branch, it is unfit.

נקטם ראשו. תני עולא בר חיננא: נקטם ראשו ועלתה בו תמרה ⁠— כשר.

§ The Mishnah continues: If the top of the myrtle branch was severed, it is unfit. Ulla bar Ḥinnana taught: If the top of the myrtle branch was severed, but a gallnut-like berry grew in that place, it is fit, as the berry fills the void and the top of the branch no longer appears severed.