| Etymology | Genus | After Georg Dionysius Ehret, 18th century botanical artist |
|---|---|---|
| Species | Small leaves | |
| Family | Boraginaceae | |
| Synonyms | Carmona retusa (Vahl) Masam. | |
| Common Names | Fukien Tea Tree, Philippine Tea Tree, Karmona | |
| Status | Exotic: Naturalised | |
| Form | Shrub | |
| Native Distribution | China, Japan, India, Sri Lanka, Indochina, Malesia, Australia | |
Diagnostics:
A shrub that is occasionally cultivated but is naturalised, Ehretia microphylla is a shrub with long extending branches. The leaves are dark green and shiny on the upper side, while pale green underneath. They are sparsely covered with small white hairs, and the leaf shape is highly variable.
Interesting Facts:
Some traditional uses include using the infusion of leaves as tea in Philippines, and also to cure fever in Ternate; a decoction of the leaves used to cure stomach problems and coughs in Philippines (Guevara, 2016). It is also used as one of the species to be sculpted into a Bonsai.
A wild Fukien Tea Tree growing at an unmanaged carpark.
Leaves, with close-up on the white hairs.
Leaf underside.
Flower.
Fruit.
References
Guevara AP (2016) Carmona retusa (PROSEA). Plant Resources of South East Asia. https://uses.plantnet-project.org/en/Category:PROSEA. Accessed on 9-Dec-2018.
Author: Siyang
Posted: 2018-12-11