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Backhousia citriodora

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Plants

                 iLemon myrtle
           Scientific classification

   Kingdom:  Plantae
   Division: Magnoliophyta
   Class:    Magnoliopsida
   Subclass: Rosidae
   Order:    Myrtales
   Family:   Myrtaceae
   Genus:    Backhousia
   Species:  B. citriodora

                                Binomial name

   Backhousia citriodora
   F.Muell.

   Lemon myrtle (Backhousia citriodora) is a flowering plant in the family
   Myrtaceae, native to the semi-temperate rainforests of eastern
   Australia. It is often mistakenly called "lemon ironbark", which is
   actually Eucalyptus staigeriana.

   It can reach 20 m in height, but is often smaller. The leaves are
   evergreen, opposite, lanceolate, 5-12 cm long and 1.5-2.5 cm broad,
   glossy green, with an entire margin. The flowers are creamy-white, 5-7
   mm diameter, produced in clusters at the ends of the branches from
   summer through to autumn.

   Lemon myrtle was given the botanical name Backhousia citriodora in 1853
   after the English botanist, James Backhouse. The common name reflects
   the strong sweet lemon smell of the crushed leaves.

Cultivation and uses

   Indigenous Australians have long used lemon myrtle, both as an
   antibiotic and in cuisine. The oil is extremely high in citral content;
   typically higher than lemongrass. Lemon myrtle essential oil has been
   shown to possess antimicrobial properties; however it is very toxic to
   human cells in vitro. When diluted to approximately 1%, absorption
   through the skin and subsequent damage is thought to be minimal. Use of
   lemon myrtle oil as a treatment for skin lesions caused by molluscum
   contagiosum virus (MCV), a disease affecting children and
   immuno-compromised patients, has been investigated. Nine of sixteen
   patients who were treated with lemon myrtle oil showed a significant
   improvement, compared to none in the control group. The oil is a
   popular ingredient in health care and cleaning products, especially
   soaps, lotions and shampoos. It is marketed in the capitalized identity
   of Lemon Myrtle. The majority of commercial lemon myrtle is grown on
   the north coast of New South Wales, Australia, particularly in the
   Alstonville region.

   The leaves of the plant are also used in cooking, forming one of the
   more well-known bush tucker foods. It has an extensive range of uses,
   such as lemon flavouring in pasta, with fish, infused in macadamia or
   vegetable oils, and made into tea. It can also be used as a lemon
   replacement in milk-based foods, such as cheescake, lemon flavoured
   ice-cream and sorbet that would normally curdle due to lemon's citric
   acid. In World War II the leaves were actually used by the soft drink
   company Tarax to flavour lemonade. The taste/smell is similar to lemon
   (hence the name), but 'crisp' and rich, and not acidic. During former
   US President Bill Clinton's visit to Australia in 1996, lemon myrtle
   tart was the dessert item at the formal reception hosted by the
   Australian Government. It is often described as "more lemon than
   lemon".

   The tree is also a popular plant in cultivation and has been
   successfully grown in cooler districts provided it can be protected
   from frost when young. In cultivation it rarely exceeds about 5 metres.
   The principle attraction to gardners is the lemon smell which perfumes
   both the leaves and flowers of the tree. Lemon myrtle is a hardy plant
   which tolerates all but the poorest drained soils. It can be slow
   growing but responds well to slow release fertilisers.
   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backhousia_citriodora"
   This reference article is mainly selected from the English Wikipedia
   with only minor checks and changes (see www.wikipedia.org for details
   of authors and sources) and is available under the GNU Free
   Documentation License. See also our Disclaimer.
