Tea tree (Melaleuca). Tea tree description, application, legend Tea tree why is it called
Australian tea tree the medicinal plant has found application for obtaining oil from its leaves, which has a wide range of medicinal properties.
Latin name: Melaleuca alternifolia.
English name: Tea tree, Australian tea tree.
Family: Myrtle - Myrtaceae.
Parts used: leaves.
Habitat: In nature, the Australian tea tree only grows in a very small area in New South Wales (Australia).
Photo of the medicinal plant Australian tea tree
Botanical description: There are more than 200 varieties of tea tree, but only one of them - Melaleuca alternifolia has properties that are important from the point of view of medicine, and only from it an antiseptic oil is obtained. The Australian tea tree is a narrow-leaved tree with paper-thin bark and is the smallest of the group of tea trees, reaching a height of no more than 7 meters with soft bright green leaves that look like needles and small light flowers that resemble a bottle brush ...
Active ingredients: Natural essential oil of tea tree is a very complex chemical composition. It contains about fifty organic components, the bulk of which are monoterpenes (up to 50%) and diterpenes (about 40%). The rest of the composition is cineole (up to 15%). In addition, tea tree oil contains 4 rare components, which you will not find in nature during the day with fire. These are viridiflorene, L-ternineol, B-terpineol and allighexanoate.
Collection and procurement: The collected tea tree leaves are steam distilled. Pure tea tree essence is a colorless liquid with a specific, pleasant smell.
About the tea tree
Nowadays, tea tree oil can be found in many people's home medicine kits. Doctors and healers show an increased interest in this unusual oil. The healing effects of tea tree essential oil have been backed up by numerous studies and tests. Tea tree oil should be in every home, as it has a wide therapeutic spectrum and in many cases can successfully replace modern medicines.
The word combination "tea tree" will certainly be associated with tea, our favorite drink, for many readers. But it should be noted right away that the tea tree growing in Australia, from which the Tea Tree Oil is made, has nothing to do with ours. This is not to say that it has nothing to do with tea at all.
More than two hundred years ago, the brave navigator James Cook, who sailed to Australia, noticed that the natives were preparing tea from the leaves of this exotic plant - and he simply called this tree Tea. In fact, the aborigines of Australia used this plant in the form of tea for the treatment of many diseases, as well as as an antidote for snake bites, they applied gruel from the crushed leaves of this tree to puncture and cut wounds. For this purpose, this tea tree has been used by the indigenous people of Australia for many hundreds of years.
Together with Cook, the English naturalist Joseph Banks also walked the seas. He decided to try first on himself, and then on the compatriots around him, the effect of the leaves of the tea tree. It turned out to be very beneficial, and Banks began to treat many diseases with this drug.
On other continents, the medicinal properties of the tea tree were learned much later. It began to be widely used only after special studies were carried out in 1923, which found that the antiseptic effect of the oil isolated from tea tree leaves is much stronger than that of phenol (carbolic acid), and 5 times stronger than that of alcohol (scientific evidence of the bactericidal properties of Australian tea tree oil was first presented by A. Penfold, who published a paper in 1925 in which the evidence was provided).
After that, tea tree oil began to be widely used in Europe and America for bacterial and fungal diseases of the skin and mucous membranes. In the 1930s, it was used as an antiseptic for oral hygiene, for disinfecting wounds, and it was also added to hand soap.
It has been found to kill the typhoid bacillus 60 times faster than other similar agents. During World War II, tea tree oil was included in the personal first aid kit of an Australian Army soldier. Sugar makers in Australia use a 40% solution of tea tree oil to treat superficial burns.
Tea tree oil was widely used in British mechanical factories: it was mixed with working oils to reduce absenteeism due to contamination from cuts and scratches. In the South Pacific, people rubbed it into their bodies to ward off mosquitoes and other insects.
Medicinal properties and uses of tea tree oil
100% Australian Tea Tree Oil, manufactured in the USA according to the international GMP quality standard for medicines.
Photo of 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil Bactericidal properties... The most recent research shows that tea tree oil is effective when antibiotics are virtually ineffective. For example, it destroys Staphylococcus aureus, which lives on the surface of the skin and mucous membranes. Previously, this type of staphylococcus was controlled with mupirocin, but recently a subspecies has appeared, on which mupirocin no longer acts. The unique ingredient viridofloren has been found in tea tree oil. It is not even contained in plants such widely known for their bactericidal properties as. Tea tree oil inhibits the growth of many pathogenic bacteria such as staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, and gonococci.
Antifungal properties... Tea tree oil inhibits the growth of fungal flora. It is used in the treatment of fungal infections of the skin and nails, with candidiasis of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and vagina.
Antiseptic properties... Tea tree oil is a natural antiseptic widely used as an ingredient in cosmetics. It has a miraculous effect on the skin, revitalizing, rejuvenating, nourishing and protecting it. Tea tree essential oil is found in many face and body creams and lotions, as well as shampoos, colognes and deodorants. This oil is especially recommended for oily, impure and sensitive skin. Creams with tea tree oil rejuvenate the skin of the face, protect it from the effects of adverse environmental influences, without clogging the pores.
Anti-inflammatory properties... The main indications for the use of tea tree oil are infectious skin diseases: furunculosis, acne, infections of the nail bed, small wounds, abrasions. The oil is effective in the treatment of bruises, calluses, blisters, bedsores, carbuncles, acne, dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis - any skin infections. This oil is very effective in helping with cuts and skin burns (including burns by poisonous plants), and insect bites (including bees).
Antiviral properties... Prevention and treatment of colds, acute respiratory viral infections, influenza, herpes are effective - when using tea tree oil in pure form or diluted: in inhalation, rinsing, rubbing and adding to the bath.
In natural cosmetics, it is used for the daily care of oily, impure skin and warts. Helps strengthen hair and eliminate dandruff.
Aromatherapy properties... It has also been noticed that tea tree oil, like many other essential oils, has a very positive effect on the human psyche. A few drops of this oil applied to a neckerchief or handkerchief, tie, etc. will help to keep a person calm and presence of mind. Tea tree oil gives self-confidence and makes communication more free. The stimulating properties of this essential oil help relieve fatigue, increase efficiency, eliminate general weakness and significantly shorten the treatment time for these diseases.
Storage and precautions
- Avoid contact with eyes;
- Keep tea tree oil out of the reach of children;
- Care should be taken when applying 100% Australian Tea Tree Oil to children under 3 years of age.
- Do not take tea tree oil internally.
- Do not store oil in plastic containers;
- Store oil in a cool place.
Feel: when applied to the skin of pure (100%) tea oil, there will be a slight burning sensation, burning. There MAY be reddening of the skin within 2-3 minutes, these reactions are natural and should not be feared.
Contraindications... Do not lubricate open wounds or mucous membranes with tea tree oil. If a slight redness and burning sensation appears on the skin after applying the oil, this is a sign of allergy. In this case, this product must be diluted with distilled water. Undiluted, it is contraindicated in pregnant women and babies under 1.5 years of age. Individual intolerance to the product.
Tea tree oil, like many other essential oils, is not recommended for ingestion. Such a reception is possible only under the strict supervision of a physician. This remedy is considered quite poisonous if it ends up in a child's stomach.
NSP 100% Tea Oil Video
TEA TREE
/ Melaleuca alternifolia /
Botanical name: Melaleuca alternifolia
Synonyms: Melaleuca alternate-leaved; parifolia malaleuca, tea melaleuca; Tea tree; honey myrtles; white tea tree
Family: Myrtle (Myrtaceae)
Description: Narrow-leaved tea tree with thin, papery bark only grows in Australia and is the smallest of the group of tea trees, reaching a height of no more than 7 meters. It is a spindle-shaped shrub with soft, bright green, needle-like leaves and small yellow or cream-colored flowers that resemble a bottle brush.
Colour: pale yellow or olive
Aroma: fresh, fragrant, spicy, cold
Receiving method: steam distillation, essential oil yield about 2%
Used part of the plant: leaves
Growing area: Australia.
Class: aromatic adaptogen
Chemical composition: contains 4 components that are hardly found elsewhere in nature: viridiflorene (up to 1%), B-terpineol (0.24%), L-terpineol (traces) and allighexanoate (traces)
alpha-pinene - 2.5%, alpha-terpinene - 9.1%, para-cymene - 3.9%, 1,8-cineole - 4.3%, gamma-terpinene - 24.6%, alpha-terpineol - 2 , 3%, terpinen-4-ol - 42.1%, terpinolene - 4.1%
Psycho-emotional action
The tea tree is the source of intellectual lightness. It activates the processes of perception and memorization of information, helps to quickly "switch" from one subject to another, being an ideal assistant in performing work involving multifaceted mental activity. The aroma of the tea tree is an emotional antiseptic that eliminates the "contagious" personal motivations, manifested in hysteria and alarmism. Develops independence and speed of making sound decisions in difficult and shock situations.
Stimulates nervous and mental energy.
Healing action
Strong antiseptic, anti-inflammatory agent of multifaceted use. Eliminates viral (flu, colds, shingles, herpes, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis) and bacterial (airborne, contact-household, intestinal) infections. Effective for inflammation of the nasopharynx and respiratory organs. Stimulates the work of the body's immune forces, increases the leukocyte activity of the blood. Eliminates inflammation and swollen lymph nodes. Ideally cleans the oral mucosa: removes plaque from teeth and tongue, eliminates unpleasant odors, suppresses inflammation of the oral cavity, eliminates bad breath, and gives fresh breath. Optimizes digestion, relieves food intoxication syndrome (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). Anti-traumatic action: for wounds, abrasions, bruises, sprains.
Strong antiviral: flu, colds. It prevents the growth and division of atypical cells, has a radioprotective and anticarcinogenic effect. Eliminates catarrhal cystitis, urethritis. For women: destroys the pathogenic flora of the vaginal mucosa (bacterial-viral colpitis and vaginitis, candidomycosis); eliminates vaginal hypersecretion (leucorrhoea). For men: has an anti-inflammatory effect on the reproductive system.
Tea tree is a means of intimate cosmetics that prevents sexual transmission of viral, bacterial and fungal infections.
It is part of the composition for inhalation and massage for colds, flu, coughs, sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis. Reduces body temperature (fever) in febrile conditions. It has a wound healing effect, heals burns. Neutralizes poisons from insect bites. Heals skin infections, including eczema, chickenpox, herpes. Stimulates the immune system.
Quickly eliminates itching, swelling, redness after insect bites, neutralizing infectious poisons; eliminates fungal skin lesions. It prevents the growth and division of apitic cells of benign and malignant neoplasms.
Domestic use
Antidote to insect bites. Disinfects indoor air, an effective measure to avoid contamination during an epidemic of airborne infection.
Application methods
Baths
* Add 8-10 drops of tea tree oil to a water-filled bath, relax in water for 10 minutes.
* For hand or foot baths, add 6-8 drops of oil to a small amount of water. The duration of the baths is 5-10 minutes.
* Baths - 3-5 drops + 4 drops of lavender oil.
Compresses / poultices
A simple disinfectant compress: add 3-5 drops of tea tree oil to a bowl of water (hot or cold if necessary), immerse a piece of flannel or cotton wool in water, apply to the sore spot. For poultices, add a few drops of oil to the clay or kaolin base and mix well. Poultices can be used to draw pus out of an abscess or infected splinter.
Direct application of pure tea tree oil to the skin
Use the oil directly from the bottle, applying with light tapping movements with your fingertips or a cotton ball. It is used to treat cuts, burns, herpes simplex, etc.
Gargling of the throat and mouth
Add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil to a glass of warm water, mix well. Gargle and gargle with ulceration of the oral mucosa. sore throat and gums, bad breath.
Inhalation
Apply 7-8 drops to a piece of cloth or handkerchief and inhale throughout the day. To continue treatment at night, apply a few drops to the pillow. For respiratory diseases, steam inhalation is performed: add 5 drops of tea tree oil to a pot of boiling water, cover your head with a towel and inhale deeply with your eyes closed for 5-10 minutes. Steam inhalation can also be used as a steam bath for the face to enlarge pores and clear the skin of blackheads, acne and comedones.
Massage
The concentration of tea tree oil in the oil base should be in the range of 2-3%, although a 5% solution is sometimes used; with muscle pain, for example. For 100 ml of base - 50 drops of essential oil, for 50 ml of base - 25 drops of essential oil, for 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of base oil - 7-8 drops, for 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of base oil - 2 -3 drops of essential oil.
Sitz baths
Add a few drops of tea tree oil to an incomplete tub or basin of warm water. It is used for vaginal and urethral infections.
Foot baths: 7-10 K. mix with 1 teaspoon of shower gel, soda, salt or honey and dilute in 500 g. hot water.
Water for washing wounds: Add 10 cups of tea tree to 1/3 cup of water.
Reflex massage: a mixture of transport and tea tree oil in a ratio of 5: 4.
Internal use:
* 2-3 drops per glass of herbal tea.
Destroys infection, has a diaphoretic, wound healing, bactericidal effect.
This remedy helps with intestinal infections, infectious diseases, fungal infections and respiratory diseases.
* Mix 1 drop of oil with 2 drops of vegetable oil, take in a "bread" capsule 2 times a day; a course of regular use for neoplasms no more than 21 days, after which a two-week break is required.
Aroma burners:
* 5 rooms for 15 m2. (for disinfection of the room in which the patients are located)
* aroma lamps - 2-4 drops + 5 drops of lemon oil
Hot inhalation:
* 1 to. tea tree, the duration of the procedure is 3-5 minutes.
* 2 drops + 2 drops of lemon oil for 3-5 minutes
Cold inhalation: duration 5-7 minutes.
Douching: 5 K. for 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, dilute in 200g. warm boiled water.
Intimate hygiene: Beat the lather in your hands, add 5 bar of tea tree to it, wash the genitals. You can use water for intimate rinsing: 5 to the tea tree, apply 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, dilute in 1 glass of warm water.
Aroma medallions: 1-2 c.
With fungal skin lesions, warts: Apply pure oil with a thin layer of the applicator to the body of the wart or fungal surface.
Precautionary measures: Care should be taken when using tea tree for children under 3 years of age. Some people may experience skin irritation when applying pure tea tree oil. In this case, wash off the oil with cold water and use it diluted in the future or avoid using it.
Contraindications: individual intolerance to the tea tree.
In the form of a 1% solution in petrolatum for 48 hours. does not irritate human skin, does not have a sensitizing effect. There is no phototoxic effect.
Feel: when applied to the skin, there is a slight burning sensation, burning, reddening of the skin is possible within 2-3 minutes. When used internally, the characteristic flavor of a tea tree is possible within 2-5 days. Reactions are natural
Synergy
Carnation - antibacterial action
Lavender - with problem skin
Ravintsara (Camphor cinnamon) - anti-virus action
Fit with
Rosewood, geranium, bergamot, bigardia, pine, spruce cones, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, lavender
Shelf life: subject to the tightness of the package - more than 5 years, tea tree oil should be stored in a tightly closed bottle made of dark glass, in a dark cool place
technology:
I brushed my teeth, rinsed my mouth, washed the brush
1-3 drops of oil (wood or lemon) dripped onto the brush and brush your teeth again as usual
you can grind the tongue too
When you spit, you can immediately see how much byaki is not cleaned with ordinary paste.
Rezult - very white teeth - straight glow in the dark
lasts for several days - if you don't smoke, of course
Tea tree (extra) can be bought in the aromatherapy online store "Aromarti.ru"
The tea family (Theaceae) includes low or medium height (up to 30 m) trees or shrubs with simple or alternate leathery leaves. The flowers are usually solitary, actinomorphic and usually rather large, white, pink, sometimes dark red.
The tea family includes 10 genera and about 500 species, distributed mainly in the tropics and subtropics of the Old and New Worlds. Some representatives are characteristic of the temperate zone of North America and East Asia.
The systematic composition of the tea family is limited to only two subfamilies. The first subfamily of the tea (Theoideae) proper is characterized by mobile anthers and a fruit-box or dry drupe that opens in the nests. The second subfamily, Ternstroemioideae, is characterized by motionless anthers and a non-expanding berry-like or the same, but dry fruit.
The most popular plant in the tea family is, of course, the tea tree, or the tea bush or just tea (Thea sinensis). Tea is best considered a monotypic genus, that is, it includes one species - Thea. As for the other "types", it is, most likely, only varieties and varieties of the same Chinese tea. Most interesting is the Assamese variety (Thea sinensis var.assamica).
A.P. Krasnov, the author of a major work on the tea plant and its world culture, considered the birthplace of tea forests of subtropical oak trees throughout the south of East Asia, from the Himalayas to Japan. More precisely, to which Krasnov was inclined, the homeland of tea must be recognized forested areas of Assam, Burma, China's Yunnan and North Vietnam... The fact that this region is the real homeland of the tea plant is evidenced by many data. The local wild-growing tea is a real tree with a trunk up to 50-60 cm in diameter, but no more than 10 m in height. This tree is found under the canopy of a subtropical forest, consisting of evergreen oaks and laurel, as well as trees from the tea family. This, in addition to the tea itself, Schima wallichii, Gordonia, etc. The Assamese variety of tea growing here is the least cold-resistant; its leaves are webbed rather than leathery, and larger than those of Chinese and other varieties. In phylogenetic terms, the Assamese variety is considered primary.
In the south of the Chinese province of Yunnan, wild tea, which forms an undergrowth in the local forests, is introduced into culture by replanting new plants under the canopy of these forests. Here cultural tea is no different from wild mother trees. But in countries where tea production is put on a scientific basis, for example, in Sri Lanka, a number of standard varieties for various specific tea plantations, taking into account high-altitude climatic zones and all other local conditions, have long been obtained through hybridization and clonal selection with subsequent vegetative propagation. Wild tea is widely used in Vietnam.
Tea tree. Yunnan
The cultivated varieties of the tea plant morphologically differ little from the wild-growing ancestor. If wild-growing tea is a tree, then cultivated is already simply due to the constant cutting of young leaves and short shoots - a shrub in the form of growth. In wild-growing tea, the leaves are larger and softer, up to 15 cm long. In ordinary cultural Chinese teas, the leaves are even shorter than 5 cm. Here and there the leaves are alternate, oblong-elliptical, pointed. The flowers are large, up to 4 cm in diameter and more, with a weak aroma, white, single or 2-3. There are 5-6 sepals, and there are up to 9 petals. The fruit is a 3-5-nested box, each nest of which contains one spherical seed with a hard shell. In the tropics, tea blooms at any time of the year and lasts for several months.
Leaves and flowers Thea
The most important regions of tea culture are India (primarily the Himalayan regions of Assam and Darjeeling, as well as the Nilgiri mountains in southern India), Sri Lanka, southern China (provinces of Yunnan, Sichuan, Guizhou, Hunan, Jiangxi, Fujiang, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Guangxi and Guangxi Zhuang), Taiwan.
High quality tea is produced on the island of Java, in northern Vietnam, Myanmar, Japan, Bangladesh, Iran (in Mazandaran and in the Gilan mountains), Azerbaijan (in the Gilan mountains), in the Caucasus. In addition, tea is grown in Malaysia, Laos, northern Thailand, Mauritius, Pakistan, Turkey, Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Cameroon, Mauritania, Zaire, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe), Argentina , Brazil, Uruguay, Peru.
The main groups of teas are black, then green. The so-called "flower tea" has nothing to do with the flowers of the tea plant. The highest quality tea is made from the most delicate tops of the leaves; when brewing, the infusion acquires a golden hue and a special aroma. China also makes a tea drink from the root of the tea.
Tea production is carried out directly at tea factories of primary processing and includes the following main technological processes: withering, rolling, fermentation and drying.
If in the production of black tea the goal of the technological process is the development of oxidative reactions (fermentation), which cause the formation of flavoring and aromatic products, as well as red and brown pigments characteristic of black tea infusion, then in the production of green tea the main goal is to exclude the development of oxidative processes in the first the same stage of production for obtaining tea of light yellow color with a specific taste and aroma. Almost the entire volume of catechins and vitamins (5–6 times more than in black tea) contained in the initial raw material - tea leaves - is preserved in green tea, which has passed all stages of technological processing. As for the content of tannins, green tea has twice as many of them as in black, besides, they are in a biologically more active state, since they are present in an unoxidized form.
Yellow tea and red tea (Oolong) occupy intermediate positions between black and green, with yellow tea closer to green, and red - to black. Yellow tea is a pleasant refreshing drink with a milder taste and stronger aroma than green tea. This type of tea is characterized by a higher content of catechins, vitamins and extractives, therefore, physiologically, it is also more valuable than black tea. China is the main producer and consumer of yellow tea. There, this type of tea, along with green tea, is especially popular. Red tea (Oolong) forms an amber-red infusion, has a wonderful aroma and a very pleasant tart taste. Sometimes it is used when blending with black tea in order to improve the taste of the latter.
The height at which tea trees grow is important for any tea. The higher the tea plantations, the greater the temperature fluctuations during the day the tea leaf experiences. This allows him to accumulate all the valuable substances in himself and not to consume them during the night period (the period of low vegetation). During the day, the temperature can approach 30C, and at night it drops to 3C. It is an ideal climate that gives tea a rich taste and a long-lasting aftertaste.
The second place in terms of practical value after tea among the representatives of the tea family is undoubtedly the genus Camellia. subfamily Theoideae. Systematically, this genus is closest to the genus tea (Theasinensis) and some botanists combine into one genus under the general name Camellia. The most obvious difference is, in fact, only that tea leaves are almost sessile, while camellias have petiole leaves. In the first of these genera, sepals remain with fruits, in the second, they fall off. Camellias are first-class ornamental plants - in this capacity they are cultivated. These are evergreen trees or shrubs. The corolla is large and colored in all shades from pure white and pale pink to bright red, carmine and maroon. The genus Camellia includes 80 species. Mainly Japanese species and varieties are still widely cultivated; Chinese species are very rare, meanwhile, in their homeland, only one province of Yunnan is known for many beautiful varieties.
Japanese camellia
The tea family (Theaceae) includes subfamily Theoideae, among which there are large trees up to 30 m high, such as the Wallich schema (S. wallichii), characteristic of the tropical forests of the Eastern Himalayas, the Chinese province of Yunnan, Indochina, and Sri Lanka.
The second subfamily of tea - Ternstroemioideae (Ternstroemioideae)- concludes an extensive panthropic genus Ternstroemia, which includes about 130 species, then the Asian tropical genus Anneslea, consisting of three species, and a monotypic genus of sweetness (Sladenia), characteristic of Burma and southern China. Further, from the tribe Adinandreae, 8 genera are known: Adinandra with 70 species from tropical and subtropical Asia and (one species) from the Congo basin in Africa. This also includes three large genera: Eurua of 100 species, Cleyera of 16 species, Frezier of 35 species. The first of these genera is tropical Asian, the second is also Asian, and the third is South American. The oligotypic genus Balthasaria (3 species) from tropical Africa and the monotypic genus Visnea from the islands of Tenerife and Madeira complement the systematic composition of the genera from the tribe Adinandra.
From China, relatively recently, a number of genera of the tea family were described, partly with not quite clear systematic relationships: Kaliosocarpus, Parapiquetia, Tutcheria, Yunnanea. Even earlier, the genera of Sinopyrenaria and Hartia were established.
Almost all representatives of the tea family are evergreen trees or shrubs, characteristic mainly of mountain tropical and subtropical forests. Only species of the genera Stuartia and Franklicia are deciduous trees or large shrubs from regions with a warm-temperate climate.
In terms of life forms, the tea family is monotonous (trees and shrubs). Only the monotypic genus Asteropeia (Asteropeia), allocated to a special family, belongs to lianas. Another monotypic genus - Pelliciera - is also separated into a separate family. It is a typical mangrove tree with stilted roots like Rhizophora.
Based on materials from the encyclopedia "Plant Life" in 6 volumes edited by A. L. Takhtadzhyan, editor-in-chief A.A. Fedorov and based on materials from the site Znaytovar.ru
Russian name: Tea tree, Melaleuca
Latin name: Melaleuca
Family: Myrtle
Homeland: Australia
general information: Tea tree or Melaleuca (lat. Melaleuca) - belongs to the genus of Australian trees and shrubs, the Myrtle family. This genus is very close to another genus of myrtle - eucalyptus. There are about 200 varieties of this plant. But only one of the species has important medicinal properties. The tea tree is considered one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world. Tea tree has nothing to do with tea. Tea is prepared from the leaves of the tea bush (Thea sinensis) - a plant from the tea family (Theaceae), whose homeland is Southeast Asia. And the tea tree comes from Australia.
The specific name of the plant from which "tea oil" is obtained is melaleuca (sometimes written "manuka") alternifolia (Melaleuca alternifolia). The name melaleuca translated from ancient Greek means "black and white" (melanos - "black" and leukos - "white"). This is presumably due to the white color of the bark in some species, which turns black after fires, which often occur in the places where these plants grow. Melaleuku is also called paper-barked tree and honey myrtle. The fact is that in many species of the genus, the thin bark exfoliates in patches similar to paper. Melaleuca flowers give a lot of nectar and have good melliferous properties.
For us, another name is more familiar - tea tree. There are two versions of where it came from. According to one of them, the sailors of the expedition of James Cook were the first to give this name to the melaleuku, who saw how the locals brew its leaves and drink it like tea. According to another version, Melaleuku was so named due to the fact that its leaves color the water in a dark color. In Australia there is Brown Lake, along the banks of which melaleuks grow. The fallen leaves of these plants line the bottom of the lake and stain it brown, like tea.
Melaleuks are small to medium sized evergreen shrubs, some species grow into trees up to 25 m tall. Ovate or lanceolate leaves from 1 to 25 cm long and from 0.5 to 7 cm wide are arranged alternately on the branches, the leaf edge is solid, the color is from dark green to gray-green. Petioles are short or absent. The leaves contain glands with essential oils; when rubbed, a characteristic camphor aroma is felt. Some types of melaleuc are industrially isolated essential oils - Australian tea tree oil, kayyuput (kayaput, kayaput, kajeput) oil, Niaoli oil, etc. They differ slightly in chemical and quantitative composition, but all have antiseptic properties and are widely used in folk and traditional medicine, cosmetology and perfumery.
The flowers of the tea tree are small, yellow or cream in color, in shape they resemble a brush for washing bottles. The shape of the inflorescence can be spherical or irregular (whereas all callistemons have a brush-shaped inflorescence). Flowers on branches are arranged alternately with leaves and inflorescences continue with young growths. The calyx consists of 5 sepals, which often fall off immediately after flowering. The effect of the flowers is given by the numerous, collected in 5 bunches of stamens, they are brightly colored in red, pink, lilac, purple or yellow. The peak flowering for most species occurs in the spring (in Australia - from September to November). Flowers produce large amounts of nectar and are pollinated mainly by birds, as well as insects and bats. After flowering, hard capsules with small seeds are formed, which usually remain tightly closed and in some species often open only after the death of the tree or during a fire. Seeds in capsules can retain germination for more than one year.
This tree, or rather its leaves, are used to make essential oils. How and when people discovered the amazing properties of the oil that can be obtained from melaleuca leaves is difficult to say. This was first mentioned by the anthropologist Christopher Dean, who studied the life of Australian aborigines - they told him that the leaves of this tree have healing properties. Subsequently, Ding became one of the founders of the first tea tree plantations. In 1920, the researcher A.R. Penfall from Sydney, studying the bactericidal properties of the oil obtained from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, has received very good results. By 1930, this remedy had become very popular and was quite actively used during the Second World War to decontaminate and heal wounds - until antibiotics were used. Then it was they who became a panacea for most ills, and they gradually forgot about tea tree oil. For 40 years, the industry has fallen into disrepair.
However, modern researchers are increasingly turning to traditional medicine, and in the 70s Melaleuca alternifolia again attracted the attention of scientists. Chemical analysis showed that the oil contained in its leaves contains more than 50 different biologically active components, and is especially rich in various terpenes, including cineole - a substance that has excellent anti-inflammatory and bactericidal properties. The leaves of this plant contain caffeine, tannin, and many vitamins much more than lemon. When rubbing a tea tree leaf, you can smell a scent reminiscent of camphor.
The tea tree was again planted on plantations, and now the production of oil from its leaves is growing every year, as well as the demand for this mild, but very effective medicine.
The genus Melaleuca is very close to the genus Callistemon. The main difference is that all callistemons' stamens are attached in the flower independently of each other, while in melaleucs they are collected in 5 bunches. This difference is often clearly distinguishable even with the naked eye, but it is not clear enough for classification, and many botanists believe that callistemons should be included in the more numerous genus Melaleuca.
Most of the Melaleuca species grow in western Australia, where these plants form beautiful flowering thickets. All of them, like Melaleuca alternifolia, are shrubs, less often trees about 9 m high. The crowns of Melaleuca are dense, shady, so that there is practically no vegetation under them. Leaves can be oblong, narrow-linear, or almost filiform. Beautiful white or mauve flowers with bright stamens are collected in dense capitate or ruff-shaped inflorescences. Melaleuk flowers are pollinated by insects, birds and mammals. For example, flowers of melaleuca broadleaf (M.quiquenervia) are visited by insects and birds during the day, and at night they are visited by long-tongued Australian fruit bats (Synonycteris australis) - small animals from the order of bats. In place of pollinated flowers, fruits are formed, which over time become lignified and remain on the branches for several years.
Types, varieties: 236 species known. The most common species are Melaleuca alternifolia, other species are Melaleuca viridiflora and Melaleuca leucadendra. Essential oil is obtained from them. The species Melaleuca armillaris and Melaleuca, however, have no therapeutic value.
The most famous and popular species are the white bark tea tree (Melaleuka leucadendra), the cajeput tree (M.cajuputi) and the lemon tea tree (Leptospermum petersonii). The latter is bred on plantations in many countries of the world and essential oils with the scent of lemon are obtained from its leaves, which are used to flavor soaps and shampoos.
Usually, only one species is grown as a houseplant - Melaleuca alternifolia, which grows up to 7 m in nature. This melaleuca is famous for its unusual leaves: they reach a length of 12 cm and a width of no more than half a centimeter. Because of this, the leaves resemble pine needles.
Air humidity: In the summer, the tea tree needs frequent spraying of its leaves, the plant prefers a high level of humidity.
Lighting: Prefers sunny lighting, but in summer it is not advisable to put the pot in direct sunlight, as melaleuca can get burned.
Priming: Not picky about the composition of the soil, but a slightly acidic and well-drained substrate is optimal. The land mixture consists of peat, sand and sod land (2: 1: 1).
Watering: The tree should be watered abundantly in summer and moderate in winter.
Care: The tea tree is an unpretentious plant. However, good sunlight is needed. Watering from spring to autumn is plentiful, in winter it is watered after adding the top layer of the earth. Does not tolerate overdrying of an earthen coma. The main problem of growing melaleuca in apartments is dry air. To maintain moisture, the plant should be sprayed, while this procedure will refresh the leaves from dust and promote growth.
Melaleuca, like any myrtle tree, needs a shearing that is carried out constantly throughout the year, while the plant can be given any appearance, as varied as your imagination. By pruning, the flower takes root and grows faster.
The temperature in summer can be in the range of 15-20 ° C, and in winter melaleuca can grow at 10 ° C. In nature, the plant can even tolerate temperatures as low as -7 ° C.
In winter, it is necessary to supplement the plant with luminescent, LED or special phytolamps, providing 12-hour daylight hours. In the absence of additional lighting, it is necessary to lower the temperature of the content, the best place would be a glazed, frost-free balcony, where the temperature should not fall below + 10 ° C. When the content is cool, it is necessary to reduce the amount of watering, to keep the soil slightly moist.
Top dressing: During the growing season, the plant needs feeding, which must be carried out every two weeks.
Reproduction: The tea tree is propagated by seeds that are planted immediately after harvest. Melaleuk seeds are small, they should be sown on the surface of a substrate, better than an inert mineral one, and kept in a bright, warm place. Sowing is carried out to a depth of 3-4 cm.
In early spring and summer, the tea tree can be propagated using annual lignified cuttings. Also in spring, a tea tree, or rather a seedling 15-20 cm long, is pruned to enhance tillering at a height of 10 cm from the soil surface. We do the second pruning the next year at a height of 15-30 cm. In general, pruning is done annually in order to expand the crowns of the bush itself, to raise the height of the bush and to increase shoot formation.
Transfer: A young tea tree needs to be replanted once a year, while older plants are replanted as needed in the spring.
Possible difficulties: The main possible problems when growing melaleuca is root decay. Possible reasons are too abundant watering, or early pruning of leaves.
Pests: At home, it can be affected by spider mites and mealybugs.
In case of excess moisture, the pot should be removed to a cool but not cold place and the soil should be allowed to dry. Melaleuca does not like overdrying the soil. In winter, you should wait until the top layer of the soil dries up and only then water it. At this time of the year, there is a danger of root rot.
Tea tree oil can be used in a variety of ways. It is an excellent antiseptic that is used to treat wounds, burns, abscesses, severe stomatitis. It is also used to treat complex skin diseases such as psoriasis. In addition, tea tree oil has antifungal properties, so it can be used to treat various external fungal diseases. It also exhibits antiviral activity and can be used to treat herpes. Tea tree oil is used both in its pure form - for example, for the treatment of fungal diseases of the nails, and in the form of aqueous solutions with which wounds are washed, gargled in the throat and mouth for various inflammatory processes in them.
09.08.2013 How beautiful!
15.03.2014
valida
serdse zamiraet otkrasoti17.12.2014
Olga Krymskaya
Very beautiful plants. I have myrtle, and the flowers are really similar, but Melaleuca is much fluffier.It seems that the answer to this question is obvious - the tea tree was so named because tea is made from its leaves. But this is not so - our favorite morning drink is made from another plant called the Chinese camellia, or just a tea bush.
The tea tree grows in Australia and belongs to the myrtle family - it is a relative of the eucalyptus. An essential oil is extracted from it, which smells like camphor. Tea tree oil is known for its healing properties - it is used to heal wounds, treat skin diseases, infections of the mucous membranes (throat, nasopharynx, genitals).
Tea tree oil applications
It has the strongest anti-inflammatory, decongestant, antifungal and antiseptic effect. The leaves of the tea tree are quite toxic, they cannot be drunk like regular tea, and the oil taken internally can be seriously poisoned. It is drunk only in microscopic doses to treat infections of the digestive system.
Then where does the name come from? The tea tree was christened by James Cook. Australian aborigines from time immemorial widely used for healing wounds, treating sunburn and skin diseases.
They brewed the leaves and made lotions from the resulting tincture, washed the wounds with it. It was impossible to drink this infusion, but in appearance it very much resembled tea - that's why it got this name. The leaves have a strong coloring effect - if there are many tea trees on the shore of the lake, they turn the water brown and it looks like the lake is full of tea. One of these brown lakes is an Australian landmark.
Melaleuca tree was also given by Europeans - from ancient Greek it is translated "black and white". Why white is understandable, because these plants have a light bark. But why black is anyone's guess; perhaps because trees are often caught in fires and their bark turns black.