Myrtaceae FAMILY

Baeckea frutescens

Edibility

2/5

Medicinal

3/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Botanical Description

Baeckea frutescens is an evergreen, heather-like shrub or small tree growing up to 8 metres tall[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. Growing near the sea or in sheltered locations on mountains, Baeckea frutescens becomes a small tree with switchy twigs, resembling Casuarina spp. On exposed peaty soils and rocky mountain tops, it grows as a dwarf shrub like a heather, with a gnarled woody stem and branches flattened against the soil surface[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. The leaves are harvested for their medicinal uses and to make a refreshing tea and are traded in some areas[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ].

Habitat & Origin

Origintropical

Native RangeSoutheast Asia - southern China, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, New Guinea, northern Australia.

HabitatPoor sandy and ultrabasic soils, in shrubland, often at high altitudes[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. It is also present in seasonally wet savannah and swamp forest[ 310 Title Plant Resources of Southeast Asia Publication Author Website http://proseanet.org/ Publisher Year 0 ISBN Description Lots of information on the uses of the plants of SE Asia. ]. Thickets, slopes, low hills and open grasslands in southern China[ 266 Title Flora of China Publication Author Website http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/ Publisher Missouri Botanical Garden Press; St. Louis. Year 1994 ISBN Description An excellent, comprehensive resource in 25 volumes. In addition to the botanical information the flora also gives basic information on habitat and some uses. An on-line version is also available. ].