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 quite large, white, pink, and occasionally 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 tea plants proper (Theoideae) is characterized by movable anthers and a fruit-box or dry drupe that opens into nests. The second subfamily, Ternstroemioideae, is characterized by fixed anthers and an indehiscent berry-like or similar, but dry fruit.
The most popular plant of the tea family is, of course, the tea tree, or tea bush or simply tea (Thea sinensis). It is most correct to consider tea as a monotypic genus, that is, including one species - Thea. As for the other “species”, these are most likely only varieties and varieties of the same Chinese tea. The Assamese variety (Thea sinensis var. assamica) is more interesting than others.
A.P. Krasnov, the author of a major work on the tea plant and its world culture, believed the birthplace of tea forests of subtropical oaks throughout the south of East Asia, from the Himalayas to Japan. More precisely, as Krasnov was inclined to do, tea must be recognized as the birthplace of forested areas of Assam, Burma, Yunnan Province of China and North Vietnam. Many data indicate that this region is the real homeland of the tea plant. The local wild 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 trees, as well as trees from the tea family. This, in addition to the tea itself, includes Schima wallichii, Gordonia, etc. The Assamese variety of tea growing here is the least cold-resistant; its leaves are membranous rather than leathery, and larger than those of the 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 the undergrowth in the local forests, is introduced into cultivation by planting new plants under the canopy of these forests. Here, cultivated tea is no different from mother wild trees. But in countries where tea production is put on a scientific basis, for example in Sri Lanka, a number of standard varieties have long been obtained through hybridization and clonal selection followed by vegetative propagation for various specific tea plantations, taking into account high-altitude climatic zones and all other local conditions. Wild tea is widely used in Vietnam.
Tea tree. Yunnan
Cultivated varieties of tea plants differ little morphologically from their wild ancestors. If wild tea is a tree, then cultivated tea, simply due to the constant cutting of young leaves and short shoots, is a shrub in its growth form. Wild tea has larger and softer leaves, up to 15 cm long. Ordinary cultivated Chinese teas have leaves even shorter than 5 cm. In both cases, the leaves are alternate, oblong-elliptical, pointed. The flowers are large, up to 4 cm in diameter or more, with a weak aroma, white, single or 2-3. There are 5-6 sepals, but there are up to 9 petals. The fruit is a 3-5-locular capsule, each nest containing 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 areas 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, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Henan, Hubei, Anhui, Guangxi and Guangxi Zhuang), Taiwan.
High quality tea is produced on the island of Java, northern Vietnam, Myanmar, Japan, Bangladesh, Iran (in Mazandaran and the Gilan Mountains), Azerbaijan (in the Gilan Mountains), and the Caucasus. In addition, tea is grown in Malaysia, Laos, northern Thailand, the island of Mauritius, Pakistan, Turkey, Africa (Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda, Cameroon, Mauritania, Zaire, Mozambique, Malawi, Zimbabwe), and Argentina , Brazil, Uruguay, Peru.
The main groups of tea varieties 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 tender leaf tips; When brewed, the infusion acquires a golden hue and a special aroma. In China, a tea drink is also made from tea root.
Tea production is carried out directly at primary processing tea factories and includes the following basic 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), causing the formation of flavor 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 eliminate the development of oxidative processes in the first the same production stage to obtain light yellow tea with a specific taste and aroma. Green tea, which has gone through all stages of technological processing, retains almost the entire volume of catechins and vitamins (5-6 times more than in black tea) contained in the original raw material - tea leaves. As for the content of tannins, green tea contains twice as much as black tea; moreover, biologically they are in a more active state, since they are present in non-oxidized form.
Yellow tea and red tea (Oolong) are intermediate between black and green, with yellow tea closer to green and red tea closer to black. Yellow tea is a pleasant refreshing drink, has a milder taste and stronger aroma than green tea. This type of tea is characterized by a higher content of catechins, vitamins and extractives, so physiologically it is also more valuable than black tea. The main producer and consumer of yellow tea is China. 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 changes the tea leaf experiences during the day. This allows it to accumulate all the valuable substances and not consume them during the night period (low growing season). During the day, temperatures can approach 30C, and at night drop to 3C. This is the ideal climate, which gives the tea a rich taste and creates a long aftertaste.
The second place in practical value after tea among representatives of the tea family is undoubtedly occupied by the genus Camellia subfamily Theoideae. Systematically, this genus is closest to the tea genus (Theasinensis) and by some botanists it is combined into one genus under the general name Camellia. The most obvious difference is essentially only that tea leaves are almost sessile, while camellias have petioles. In the first of these genera the sepals remain with the fruits, in the second they fall off. Camellias are first-class ornamental plants and are cultivated as such. 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 dark burgundy. The genus Camellia includes 80 species. So far, mainly Japanese species and varieties are widely cultivated; Chinese species are very rare, meanwhile, in their homeland, only in the province of Yunnan, many beautiful varieties are known.
Japanese camellia
The tea family (Theaceae) includes subfamily Theoideae, among which there are large trees up to 30 m high, such as Wallich's schema (S. wallichii), characteristic of the tropical forests of the Eastern Himalayas, the Chinese province of Yunnan, Indochina, and also Sri Lanka.
The second subfamily of tea plants is Ternstroemioideae.- concludes the extensive pantropical genus Ternstroemia, which includes about 130 species, then the Asian tropical genus Anneslea, consisting of three species, and the monotypic genus 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 River basin in Africa. This also includes three large genera: Eurya with 100 species, Cleyera with 16 species, and Freziera with 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 genera from the tribe Adinanderaceae.
A number of genera of the tea family have been described relatively recently from China, partly with not entirely clear systematic connections: Kaliosocarpus, Parapiquetia, Tutcheria, Yunnanea. The genera Sinopyrenaria and Hartia were established even earlier.
Almost all members of the tea family are evergreen trees or shrubs, characteristic primarily 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 uniform (trees and shrubs). Only the monotypic genus Asteropeia, classified as 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 Znaytovar website.ru
TEA TREE
/Melaleuca alternifolia/
Botanical name: Melaleuca alternifolia
Synonyms: Melaleuca alternate leaf; Malaleuca parifolia, Melaleuca tea; Tea tree; honey myrtles; white tea tree
Family: Myrtaceae
Description: The narrow-leaved tea tree with paper-thin bark grows only 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 flowers that resemble a bottle brush.
Color: pale yellow or olive
Aroma: fresh, fragrant, spicy, cold
Receipt method: steam distillation, essential oil yield about 2%
Plant part used: leaves
Growing area: Australia.
Class: aromatic adaptogen
Chemical composition: contains 4 components that are unlikely to be found anywhere else in nature: viridiflorene (up to 1%), B-terpineol (0.24%), L-terpineol (trace) and alligexanoate (trace)
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
Tea tree is a source of intellectual lightness. 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 that involves multifaceted mental activity. The aroma of tea tree is an emotional antiseptic that eliminates “contagious” personal motivations that manifest themselves in hysteria and alarmism. Develops independence and speed of making sound decisions in difficult and shocking situations.
Stimulates nervous and mental energy.
Healing effect
A strong antiseptic, anti-inflammatory agent with multifaceted applications. Eliminates viral (flu, colds, shingles, herpes, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis) and bacterial (airborne, household contact, intestinal) infections. Effective for inflammation of the nasopharynx and respiratory organs. Stimulates the work of the body's immune forces, increases leukocyte activity in the blood. Eliminates inflammation and enlargement of lymph nodes. Ideally cleanses the oral mucosa: removes plaque from teeth and tongue, eliminates unpleasant odors, relieves inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, eliminates bad breath, and gives fresh breath. Optimizes digestion, relieves food intoxication syndrome (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea). Anti-traumatic effect: for wounds, abrasions, bruises, sprains.
Strong antiviral agent: flu, colds. Prevents the growth and division of atypical cells, has a radioprotective and anticarcinogenic effect. Eliminates catarrhal cystitis, urethritis. For women: destroys 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 organ system.
Tea tree is an intimate cosmetic product that prevents the transmission of viral, bacterial and fungal infections through sexual contact.
Included in the composition for inhalation and massage for colds, flu, cough, sinusitis, sore throat, bronchitis. Reduces body temperature (fever) during febrile conditions. Has a wound-healing effect and treats burns. Neutralizes poisons from insect bites. Cures skin infections, including eczema, chicken pox, herpes. Stimulates immunity.
Quickly eliminates itching, swelling, redness after insect bites, neutralizing infectious poisons; eliminates fungal skin lesions. Prevents the growth and division of apitic cells of benign and malignant neoplasms.
Household use
Antidote for insect bites. Disinfects indoor air, an effective measure to avoid infection during an airborne infection epidemic.
Application methods
Baths
* Add 8-10 drops of tea tree oil to a bath filled with water and relax in the 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 as needed), immerse a piece of flannel or cotton wool in the water, and apply to the sore spot. For poultices, add a few drops of oil to a clay or kaolin base and mix well. Poultices can be used to draw out pus from 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. Used to treat cuts, burns, herps simplex, etc.
Gargling and mouthwash
Add 5-10 drops of tea tree oil to a glass of warm water and mix well. Gargle and gargle in case of ulcerations on the oral mucosa. inflammation of the throat and gums, with bad breath.
Inhalations
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 your pillow. For respiratory diseases, steam inhalation is performed: add 5 drops of tea tree oil to a pan 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 expand pores and cleanse the skin of blackheads, pimples and comedones.
Massage
The concentration of tea tree oil in the oil base should be between 2-3%, although a five percent solution is sometimes used; for 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 a half-bath or basin of warm water. 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 500g. hot water.
Water for washing wounds: Add 10 tea tree to 1/3 glass of water.
Reflexomassage: 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 of no more than 21 days, after which a two-week break is required.
Aroma makers:
* 5 rooms per 15 m2. (for disinfection of the room in which patients are located)
* aroma lamps - 2-4 drops +5 drops of lemon oil
Hot inhalations:
* 1 to. tea tree, procedure duration 3-5 minutes.
* 2 drops +2 drops lemon oil for 3-5 minutes
Cold inhalations: Duration 5-7 minutes.
Douching: 5 k. per 1/2 teaspoon of soda, dilute in 200 g. warm boiled water.
Intimate hygiene: Beat soap foam in your hands, add 5 teaspoons of tea tree to it, and wash your genitals. You can use water for intimate rinsing: apply 5 teaspoons of tea tree to 1/2 teaspoon of soda, dilute in 1 glass of warm water.
Aroma medallions: 1-2 k.
For fungal skin infections, warts: apply pure oil with a thin layer of applicator to the body of the wart or fungal surface.
Precautionary measures: Caution should be exercised 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 in the future use it diluted or avoid using it.
Contraindications: individual intolerance to tea tree.
In the form of a 1% solution in petrolatum for 48 hours. does not cause irritation to human skin and does not have a sensitizing effect. There is no phototoxic effect.
Feel: When applied to the skin, there is a slight burning sensation, burning, and possibly redness of the skin for 2-3 minutes. When used internally, a characteristic tea tree taste is possible for 2-5 days. Reactions are natural
Synergy
Carnation - antibacterial effect
Lavender - for problem skin
Ravintsara (Camphoric cinnamon) - antivirus effect
Combined with
Rosewood, geranium, bergamot, bigardia, pine, spruce cones, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, lavender
Shelf life: if the packaging is sealed - more than 5 years, tea tree oil should be stored in a tightly closed dark glass bottle in a cool, dark place
technology:
brushed my teeth, rinsed my mouth, rinsed my brush
Add 1-3 drops of oil (wood or lemon) to the brush and brush your teeth again as usual
you can sand the tongue too
When you spit, you can immediately see how much dirt the regular paste doesn’t clean off.
Result - very white teeth - they really glow in the dark
lasts for several days - if you don't smoke, of course
Tea tree (extra) can be purchased in the online aromatherapy store "Aromarti.ru"
Russian name: Tea tree, Melaleuca
Latin name: Melaleuca
Family: Myrtaceae
Motherland: Australia
general information: Tea tree or Melaleuca (lat. Melaleuca) - belongs to the genus of Australian trees and shrubs, the Myrtaceae family. This genus is very close to another genus of myrtaceae - 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 on the globe. The 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), native to Southeast Asia. And the tea tree comes from Australia.
The species name of the plant from which “tea oil” is obtained is melaleuca alternifolia (sometimes spelled “manuka”). The name melaleuca is translated from ancient Greek as “black and white” (melanos – “black” and leukos – “white”). Presumably this is due to the white color of the bark in some species, which turns black after fires, which often occur in the areas where these plants grow. Melaleuca is also called paperbark tree and honey myrtle. The fact is that in many species of the genus, the thin bark peels off in paper-like flaps. Melaleuca flowers produce a lot of nectar and have good honey-bearing 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 James Cook's expedition were the first to give this name to Melaleuca, who saw how local residents brewed its leaves and drank them as tea. According to another version, melaleuca was so named because its leaves turn the water dark. In Australia there is Brown Lake, along the shores of which melaleuca grow. The fallen leaves of these plants line the bottom of the lake and color it brown, like tea.
Melaleucas are evergreen small to medium-sized 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 located alternately on the branches, the edge of the leaf is entire, 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. Essential oils are industrially isolated from some types of melaleuca - Australian tea tree oil, cajuput 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-colored, and shaped like a bottle brush. The shape of the inflorescence can be spherical or irregular (while all callistemons have brush-shaped inflorescences). The flowers on the branches are arranged alternately with the leaves and the inflorescences continue with young growths. The calyx consists of 5 sepals, which often fall off immediately after flowering begins. The effect of the flowers is given by numerous stamens collected in 5 bunches; they are brightly colored red, pink, lilac, violet or yellow. Peak flowering for most species occurs in spring (in Australia - from September to November). The flowers produce large quantities of nectar and are pollinated mainly by birds, but also by 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 remain viable for more than one year.
This tree, or rather its leaves, are used to make essential oil. 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 anthropologist Christopher Dean, who studied the life of the Australian aborigines - they told him that the leaves of this tree have healing properties. Subsequently, Dean became one of the founders of the first tea tree plantations. In 1920, researcher A.R. Penfol from Sydney, studying the bactericidal properties of oil obtained from the leaves of Melaleuca alternifolia, received very good results. By 1930, this remedy had become very popular and was used quite actively during World War II for the disinfection and healing of wounds - until antibiotics began to be used. Then they became a panacea for most ills, and tea tree oil was gradually forgotten. For 40 years, the industry for obtaining it has declined.
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 in lemon. When you rub a tea tree leaf, you can smell a camphor-like aroma.
The tea tree began to be grown on plantations again, and now the production of oil from its leaves is growing every year, as is 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 the stamens of callistemons are attached to the flower independently of each other, while in melaleucas they are collected in 5 bundles. This difference is often clearly visible even to the naked eye, but is not clear enough for classification, and many botanists believe that Callistemon should be included in the larger genus Melaleuca.
Most 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 melaleucas are dense, shady, so there is practically no vegetation under them. Leaves may be oblong, narrow-linear or almost thread-like. Beautiful white or mauve flowers with bright stamens are collected in dense capitate or ruff-shaped inflorescences. Melaleuca flowers are pollinated by insects, birds and mammals. For example, the flowers of broadleaf melaleuca (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 Chiroptera. 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 are known. The most common species is Melaleuca alternifolia, other species are Melaleuca viridiflora and Melaleuca leucadendra. Essential oil is obtained from them. The species Melaleuca armillaris and Melaleuca howeana 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 around the world and lemon-scented essential oils are obtained from its leaves, which are used to flavor soaps and shampoos.
As a houseplant, only one species is usually grown - melaleuca alternifolia, which in nature grows up to 7 m. 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 summer, the tea tree needs frequent spraying of the leaves; the plant prefers a high level of air humidity.
Lighting: Lighting prefers sunlight, but in the summer it is not advisable to place the pot in direct sunlight, since melaleuca can get burned.
Priming: Not picky about soil composition, but a slightly acidic and well-drained substrate is optimal. The soil mixture consists of peat, sand and turf soil (2:1:1).
Watering: The tree must be watered abundantly in summer, and in winter watering should become moderate.
Care: The tea tree is an unpretentious plant. However, good sunlight is necessary. Watering from spring to autumn is plentiful, in winter it is watered after adding the top layer of soil. Does not tolerate drying out of the earthen coma. The main problem with growing melaleuca in apartments is dry air. To maintain humidity, the plant should be sprayed, and this procedure will refresh the leaves from dust and promote growth.
Melaleuca, like any myrtle tree, needs pruning, which is carried out constantly throughout the year, and the plant can be given any look, depending on your imagination. Thanks to pruning, the flower takes root and grows faster.
Temperatures in summer can be between 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 fluorescent, LED or special phytolamps, providing a 12-hour daylight period. In the absence of additional lighting, it is necessary to reduce the temperature of the content; the best place would be a glazed, frost-free balcony, where the temperature should not fall below +10°C. If the content is cool, it is necessary to reduce the amount of watering and keep the soil slightly moist.
Top dressing: During the growing season, the plant needs feeding, which should be done once every two weeks.
Reproduction: The tea tree propagates by seeds, which are planted immediately after harvesting. Melaleuca seeds are small; they should be sown on the surface of a substrate, preferably an inert mineral one, and kept in a bright, warm place. Sowing is done to a depth of 3-4 cm.
In early spring and summer, the tea tree can be propagated using annual woody cuttings. Also in spring, the 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: Young tea tree needs to be replanted once a year, and older plants are replanted as needed in spring.
Possible difficulties: The main possible problems when growing melaleuca are rotting of the root system. Possible causes are too much watering or early pruning of leaves.
Pests: At home it can be affected by spider mites and mealybugs.
In case of excess moisture, you should remove the pot to a cool, but not cold place and let the soil dry. Melaleuca does not like dry soil. In winter, you should wait until the top layer of soil dries and only then water. At this time of year there is a danger of root rot.
Tea tree oil has quite a variety of uses. This is an excellent antiseptic that is used to treat wounds, burns, abscesses, and 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 also 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, to treat fungal nail diseases, and in the form of aqueous solutions that are used to wash wounds, gargle and gargle during 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 indeed the flowers are similar, but Melaleuca is much fluffier.Syn: melaleuca.
Tea tree or melaleuca is a genus of tropical evergreen shrubs or trees with silver-green, dry, strong-smelling leaves and papery bark. Some species of the genus have antifungal, antibacterial, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties.
Ask the experts a question
Flower formula
Tea tree flower formula: *Х5Л5Т∞П(3).
In medicine
Tea tree or melaleuca is a genus of evergreen trees or shrubs native to the tropics. Plants of this genus are not pharmacopoeial, but Melaleuca whitebark is listed in the Register of Medicines of the Russian Federation as a homeopathic drug. The leaves of some types of tea tree, from which essential oil is obtained, have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal effects.
Contraindications and side effectsTea tree essential oil can be dangerous if used incorrectly. If melaleuca oil is used topically in the wrong concentration, it may cause local skin irritation, systemic contact dermatitis, erythema-like reactions, and allergic contact dermatitis. When taken orally in case of overdose, tea tree oil may cause drowsiness, confusion, hallucinations, weakness, vomiting, stomach upset, diarrhea, and rash. In severe cases - changes in blood cells and coma. Due to the presence of estrogens in the oil, tea tree is contraindicated for use by children under six years of age, pregnant and lactating women. When using tea tree oil externally, avoid areas around the eyes and mouth, and do not put it in the ears, nose, or deep wounds.
In cosmetology
Tea tree oil is widely used in cosmetology and aromatherapy. It is added to lotions, tonics and creams intended for oily, inflamed and combination skin, and is also used spot-on for acne. A tea tree face mask is an effective remedy not only for acne, it also smoothes the skin and evens out its color. Melaleuca essential oil is included in products for hair suffering from dandruff and excess oiliness. It is used in deodorants, antiperspirants and remedies for excessive sweating of the feet. Tea tree oil is a common component of various dental products. Tea tree is good for teeth, as it whitens tooth enamel and fights infections and inflammation in the oral cavity.
In crop production
In the tropical zone, representatives of the tea tree genus are grown as ornamental plants for the needs of gardening farms, as well as for decorating personal plots.
Classification
The genus tea tree or Melaleuca (lat. Melaleuca) includes more than 230 species of trees and shrubs. The most common is the narrow-leaved tea tree (lat. Melaleuca alternifolia). In addition to it, broadleaf tea tree (Latin: Melaleuca viridiflora) and Cajuput tree (Latin: Melaleuca leucadendra) are used to obtain tea tree essential oil. Plants of the tea tree genus belong to the Myrtaceae family (Latin Myrtaceae).
Botanical description
Plants of the Tea Tree genus are low, evergreen trees or shrubs, usually up to 10 meters in height, characterized by light and soft paper-like bark that begins to peel off over time. For this feature, the tea tree in English-speaking countries received another name - paperbarks - paper bark. Tea tree leaves are from 70 to 195 mm in length and from 19 to 76 mm in width with a pronounced camphor aroma. The bisexual flowers of the tea tree are collected in inflorescences, often spherical in shape. The tea tree flower formula is *CH5L5T∞ P(3). The fruits of the plant are capsules full of small seeds.
The narrow-leaved tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) is a small tree up to 7 m in height with a dense crown and white, “papery” bark. The leaves of this type of tea tree are linear, from 10 to 35 mm in length and 1 mm in width. White flowers are collected in fluffy spikes 3 to 5 cm long.
The broadleaf tea tree (Melaleuca viridiflora) is a shrub or small tree up to 10 meters in length with leaves that reach 3 cm in width. Melaleuca viridiflora flowers are yellow, yellow-green or cream, also collected in peaks at the ends of the branches. Each peak has from 8 to 25 flowers. Cayuput tree (Melaleuca leucadendra) is the tallest among plants of this genus. It reaches a height of 25 meters. The whitish bark, peeling off in large shreds, turns black at the base. The flowers are small, white, collected in dense spike-shaped inflorescences with a leafy axis.
Spreading
Most tea tree species are found wild only in Australia. Eight are native to Tasmania, of which two are endemic. Several tropical species of melaleuca originate from Papua New Guinea, one of which grows as far as Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The tea tree grows well in the tropics and subtropics, preferring marshy areas and areas along watercourses. One species, Melaleuca halmaturorum, also known as honey kangaroo myrtle or salt paperbark, chooses to grow in saline soils where other species of shrubs and trees struggle to survive. Commercial tea tree plantations were established in the 1970s and 1980s in Western Australia, Queensland and New South Wales, around the Lismore area.
Procurement of raw materials
The medicinal raw materials are tea tree leaves rich in essential oils. They are collected for drying in early summer, and for steam distillation to obtain oil - throughout the year. Melaleuca leaves are dried in the shade, away from sources of moisture. The oil is obtained not only from the leaves, but also from the leafy tips of the branches. After processing, a clear, light yellow or greenish oil with a strong camphor-woody aroma condenses. The moist plant material yields 1% to 2% oil.
Chemical composition
The composition of tea tree oil depends greatly on what type of melaleuca it is obtained from or grown from.
whether the plant is in natural conditions or on a plantation. There is an international standard for tea tree essential oil - ISO 4730. It determines the proper content of the main 15 components of the oil. Among them, from 30 to 48% terpinen-4-ol, from 10 to 28% y-terpinene, from 5 to 13% alpha-terpinene and from 0 to 15% 1,8 cineole. Tea tree essential oil also contains alpha-terpinolene, alpha-pinene, p-cymene, virdiflorene, limonene, trace amounts of L-ternineol and alligexanoate. Terpinen-4-ol is the main component responsible for the anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activity of tea tree essential oil, and scientists believe 1,8-cinneol is responsible for the adverse reactions that occur to this essential oil. The lower its content, the lower the risk of their occurrence.
Pharmacological properties
The most effective antibacterial components of this oil are terpinen-4-ol, alpha-pin, linalool and alpha-terpineol. Lipophilic terpineols penetrate the cell membrane of microorganisms and have a toxic effect on their membrane structure and functioning. In vitro studies have shown that tea tree oil kills methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. In 2012, a topical treatment of 5% tea tree essential oil for acne was proven to be as effective as 5% benzoyl peroxide. 10% tea tree oil is less effective against fungal diseases than clotrimazole or terbinafine, but no less effective than the synthetic antifungal agent tolnaftate. Scientists are testing the antiviral activity of tea oil. In laboratory studies, the activity of the essential oil against enveloped and non-enveloped viruses has been shown.
Use in folk medicine
Tea tree oil has found wide use in folk medicine. It is recommended for inhalation and massage for various colds, flu, coughs, tonsillitis, bronchitis and sinusitis. It is able to relieve fever during fever, strengthens the immune system, has an expectorant effect that helps cleanse the respiratory tract of mucus. Tea tree helps against nail fungus, dermatitis of various etiologies, thrush, pustular and acne, boils, herpes, abscesses, bedsores, relieves swelling, itching, neutralizes poisons from midge and mosquito bites, diseases of the oral cavity. It fights lice and dandruff. Baths with tea tree essential oil help with rashes of various origins, sweaty feet and arthritis.
Historical reference
Australian Aborigines have traditionally used crushed tea tree leaves to treat coughs, sore throats, colds, headaches, and made poultices to treat festering wounds and skin inflammations. Lakes were also considered healing, in whose water fallen leaves of melaleuca accumulated. The properties of the tea tree were "transferred" to the reservoir and it became "magic". Used tea tree for the beauty of hair and facial skin and Australian women. At the dawn of the 20th century, scientists were interested in tea tree treatment.
The first studies were carried out in 1920-1930 by Australian chemist A.R. Penfold has published a number of articles examining the antimicrobial and antibacterial activity of tea tree oil. When evaluating antimicrobial activity, he relied on the “gold standard” of the time, carbolic acid, and clearly demonstrated that melaleuca oil was 11 times more effective as a disinfectant. Thanks to this research, tea tree oil was included in the first aid kit issued to Australian soldiers during the Second World War. After World War II, tea tree oil production decreased significantly as new, more effective antibiotics were discovered. Interest in it “resurrected” in the wake of the general passion for natural products already in the 70s of the last century and has not waned since then. The tea tree has nothing to do with the tea bush, whose leaves serve as the source of the beloved black or green tea. The plant most likely received this name because of the famous explorer, navigator Captain Cook, who described melaleuca as a shrub whose leaves he used instead of tea leaves. The botanical name Melaleuca comes from two ancient Greek words – melas and lukos, black and white. It is associated with the first description of the plant, when the bark of the trees seemed white to researchers, but as if burned from below to blackness.
Literature
1. Muravyova D. A. “Tropical and subtropical medicinal plants”, Moscow, “Medicine”, 1983 - 336 p.