Retama: what it is for, benefits, uses and medicinal properties

Retama benefits The plant is native to central and southern Europe from the British Isles east to southern Scandinavia, south to Iberia and east to Belarus and Romania. It is a species in the Fabaceae family of peas.

The plant was introduced as an ornamental shrub and for erosion control use. In medieval Europe, the typical housewife used broom branches as a household tool to sweep floors.

A common belief in the Middle Ages was that broom could repel witches; however, using it while it was in full bloom was believed to invite bad luck into the home.

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Description of the broom

Broom is a bushy, erect, deciduous/evergreen, deciduous-stemmed shrub that grows 6–12 ft (2–4 m) tall. They are found growing in disturbed areas, open woodland, roadsides, prairies, pastures, cultivated fields, moorland, dry meadows, dry riverbeds and other waterways, sandy pastures, and often near the coast.

Prefers moderately fertile, dry to medium, well-drained soils. It can also tolerate poor rocky soils (good bank cover), but avoids wet soils.

It has a taproot that can exceed 2 feet in length with large, shallow lateral roots. The stem is hairy when young and glabrous as it matures. The branches are numerous long, straight, slender branches of bright green, strong and very flexible, smooth and prominently angled.

Estate Broom plants form deep, branching roots, with fine roots associated with nitrogen fixation. New shoots can grow from the crown when plants are cut back above the crown.

Leaves The leaves of the broom are alternate and compound consisting of three oblong leaflets. Very few leaves are present on the stems. New twigs may only have one leaflet. The leaflets are small, about 0.3 to 0.7 in (5-20 mm) long and 1.5 to 8 mm wide. The leaflets are dark green and fleshy and serrated along their margin. The underside of the leaflets is covered with short, flattened hairs, while the upper surface is smooth.

Flowers The flowers are like peas; The upper and lower curved petal have wing petals on each side. The brooms are yellow to partly to full red. They are small, only 1-2.5 cm. The stamens are fused. The plants flower from May to June.

Fruit Fruits develop as seed pods that ripen in June-July. Seed pods are 2.5-7 cm long and 8-13 mm wide, smooth with long silky hairs. The pods are initially green turning dark brown to black when ripe. Seeds are small, 3-4 mm in diameter long and shiny, brown to black in color with a whitish appendage that attracts ants and some birds. About 3-12 seeds are found inside each pod.

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broom history

The broom originates from Europe. It was brought to North America as an ornamental garden plant in the 19th century. It also had other uses, including: a coffee alternative, medicinal uses, and a source of yellow dye. Since then it has managed to escape from many gardens and is a common invader on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

In PEI there have been a few sightings of gorse along roadsides and in ditches. However, most are contained in gardens.

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Retama medicinal benefits

Next, we discuss the medicinal properties of the broom.

Retama benefits Flowers were used to make an ointment to cure gout.

Henry VIII used to drink water made from the flowers against excess.

Dodoens recommended a decoction of the top in dropsy and for «liver shutdowns».

Culpepper considered the broom decoction to be good not only for dropsy, but also for black jaundice, fever, gout, sciatica, and various pains in the hips and joints.

A tablespoon of powdered seeds is taken daily in a glass of mint water to detect aches and pains in the liver.

Broom benefits The compound decoction of broom is recommended in herbal medicine as a great benefit in complaints of the bladder and kidneys, as well as chronic dropsy.

Broom is a bitter narcotic herb that slows respiration and regulates the action of the heart.

It acts on the electrical conductivity of the heart, slowing down and regulating the transmission of impulses.

The herbaceous tips of the flowering buds are cardiotonic, cathartic, diuretic, emetic, and vasoconstrictive.

The plant is used internally in the treatment of heart ailments, and is especially used in conjunction with Convallaria majalis.

Retama benefits The plant is also strongly diuretic, it stimulates the production of urine and, therefore, counteracts fluid retention.

The broom causes the muscles of the uterus to contract; It has been used to prevent blood loss after childbirth.

It is used as a remedy to treat an irregular and rapid heart rhythm.

The herb slows down and controls the transmission of nerve impulses in the cardiac muscles.

Retama benefits Retama helps stimulate urine production and counteracts fluid retention in the body.

Along with lily of the valley, the broom herb is used internally to treat heart-related problems.

Broom is applied to the skin for sore muscles, pockets of infection (abscesses), and swelling.

Retama Benefits Retama is also used in rinses to lighten and lighten hair.

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Dosage

As a tea, 1-2 grams (1 level teaspoon) of the herb can be steeped in 150-200 milliliters of boiling water, then strained after 5-10 minutes and taken as a full cup, up to three times a day as needed. necessary. As a decoction, 1-2 grams of the herb have been used in preparations.

As a liquid extract, a 1:1 preparation was prepared in 25% (v/v) ethanol and taken as 1-2 milliliters as needed. As a tincture, a 1:5 preparation in 45% (v/v) ethanol has been taken at a dose of 0.5-2 milliliters daily. The herb may also be available as an aqueous ethanol preparation (1:1:5) or as an aqueous essential oil extract.

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broom uses

culinary

The tender plants have been used to flavor beer.

The aged leaves and flowers have been smoked to produce euphoria.

The roasted seeds are served as a coffee substitute.

The flower buds are pickled and used as a substitute for capers.

The cocoons of this plant can be included in salads.

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other facts

Often used as an outdoor ornamental to hold steep, barren benches in place.

The moldy, dried flowers are pulverized, rolled in rolling papers, and smoked like marijuana.

Tannin exists in considerable quantity in the bark, which has been used in earlier times to tan leather.

The green tops were a good winter feed for sheep, as they prevented rot and dropsy.

An excellent fiber is obtained from the bark; It is used in the manufacture of paper, cloth and nets.

A yellow and brown tint is obtained from the bark.

The yellow dye is obtained from the flowering stem.

The green dye is obtained from the young leaves and tips.

The branches are used to make baskets, brushes, and brooms.

They are also sometimes used for thatching and as a substitute for reeds to make fences or screens.

An essential oil from the flowers is used in perfumery.

The broom can produce up to 10,000 seeds per season.

The broom can be used to prevent soil erosion.

Young leaves or tops produce a green tint.

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Caution

Avoid use during pregnancy and lactation.

Excessive use can cause nausea and diarrhea.

Use this herb with caution, as large doses are likely to upset the stomach.

This herb should not be prescribed for patients with high blood pressure, kidney disorders, spleen disorders, and liver disorders.

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