Leptospermum liversidgei
Encyclopedia
Leptospermum liversidgei, commonly known as Swamp May, Olive Teatree, Lemon-scented Teatree or Lemon Teatree, is a shrub
to 4 m found naturally growing in wet coastal heath
in Eastern Australia
. Leaves are 5-7 mm long, with a distinctive lemony aroma. The white or pink flowers are solitary, followed by a woody capsule.
The name "Leptospermum" is from the Greek "leptos sperma" which means "thin seed". "liversidgei" is after Professor A. Liversidge.
L.liversidgei has two essential oil
chemotypes:
The shrub is also cultivated as a garden
ornamental
.
Leptospermum petersonii
, is also called "lemon-scented teatree", and produces a similar lemony essential oil.
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
to 4 m found naturally growing in wet coastal heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
in Eastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Leaves are 5-7 mm long, with a distinctive lemony aroma. The white or pink flowers are solitary, followed by a woody capsule.
The name "Leptospermum" is from the Greek "leptos sperma" which means "thin seed". "liversidgei" is after Professor A. Liversidge.
L.liversidgei has two essential oil
Essential oil
An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile aroma compounds from plants. Essential oils are also known as volatile oils, ethereal oils or aetherolea, or simply as the "oil of" the plant from which they were extracted, such as oil of clove...
chemotypes:
- The citralCitralCitral, or 3,7-dimethyl-2,6-octadienal or lemonal, is either of, or a mixture of, a pair of terpenoids with the molecular formula C10H16O. The two compounds are double bond isomers. The E-isomer is known as geranial or citral A...
chemotypeChemotypeIntroduced by Pierre Franchomme in 1975 and formalized in the European Union in 2006 with the adoption of the regulation REACH, a chemotype is a chemically distinct entity in a plant or microorganism, with differences in the composition of the secondary metabolites...
is used as a bushfoodBushfoodBushfood traditionally relates to any food native to Australia and used as sustenance by the original inhabitants, the Australian Aborigines, but it is a reference to any native fauna/flora that is used for culinary and/or medicinal purposes regardless of which continent or culture it originates...
spiceSpiceA spice is a dried seed, fruit, root, bark, or vegetative substance used in nutritionally insignificant quantities as a food additive for flavor, color, or as a preservative that kills harmful bacteria or prevents their growth. It may be used to flavour a dish or to hide other flavours...
to flavour teas and foodFoodFood is any substance consumed to provide nutritional support for the body. It is usually of plant or animal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals...
products. This citral chemotype is sometimes called "lemon teatree" when the dried leaves are used in tea, and as food flavouring. Small-scale production is from wild-harvesting.
- The citronellalCitronellalCitronellal or rhodinal or 3,7-dimethyloct-6-en-1-al is a monoterpenoid, the main component in the mixture of terpenoid chemical compounds that give citronella oil its distinctive lemon scent....
chemotype is cultivated as a mosquitoMosquitoMosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
repellent.
The shrub is also cultivated as a garden
Garden
A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the display, cultivation, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The garden can incorporate both natural and man-made materials. The most common form today is known as a residential garden, but the term garden has...
ornamental
Ornamental
Ornamental may refer to:*Ornamental grass, a type of grass grown as a decoration*Ornamental iron, mild steel that has been formed into decorative shapes, similar to wrought iron work*Ornamental plant, a plant that is grown for its ornamental qualities...
.
Leptospermum petersonii
Leptospermum petersonii
Leptospermum petersonii , lemon-scented teatree is a tall shrub to small tree to 5 m which is cultivated as an ornamental and for essential oils. It naturally occurs near sclerophyll forest or rainforest, on sandy or rocky escarpements, on the east coast of Australia. It has simple leaves,...
, is also called "lemon-scented teatree", and produces a similar lemony essential oil.