Herbs from Distant Lands: Ehretia microphylla

Polska wersja

PLANT PROFILE

Ehretia microphylla is a tropical shrub, quite popular in South-east Asia, from India, Sri Lanka and China (it is said to be native to Fujian province of China or to north Philippines), throughout Myanmar, Malaysia, the Philippines to Australia. It has long traditions of uses in most of these countries, where it is drunk as a tea and used as a medicine. But even though its popularity as a tea brought it its names like Fukien Tea, Fujian Tea, Wild Tea, Philippine Tea, Tsaang Gubat and Chaang Bundok (which means Forest Tea and Mountain Tea in Tagalog), it is more commonly known as a ornamental shrub. Its neat look, tiny shiny leaves, easy maintenance and hight ability for shaping by cutting, made it famous as a garden and park plant in tropics, and bonsai type houseplant around the world. Ehretia microphylla is quite popular as a medicinal herb in The Philippines, where it was promoted by Department of Health, and is one of those herbs for which demand on markets far exceeds the production.
Still many people in the Philippines forgot about their own indigenous healthy tea. Recently I was in Suyo, Ilocos Sur, Luzon, giving a speech for the farmers at the City Hall, about potential of rare and underutilized herbs to generate more profits than conventional crops. After my presentation I suggested that instead of further discussion in assembly hall, we better go outside for a walk in the forest behind the building, to exchange our knowledge about local herbs showing live examples of plants. So we went out. There was over forty listeners, all of which was around fifty years old, and not ordinary farmers, but heads of local farmers communities, the most experienced and wisest of all. But when I saw just in front of the City Hall, the first medicinal plant on our trip, growing in the garden, trimmed into a ball. And I asked them if they know what it is. They said that it is just a commonly grown in gardens, purely ornamental plant. They was very surprised when I told them that it is medicinal herb, one of the original, indigenous, old Filipino remedies.
But later on that walk, one old women joined us. And as we was going back, reaching City Hall, I asked that lady if she knows the value of that round shaped shrub. And she said that she knows it well. That it grows wild in many places, and the tea from it's leaves is a good remedy for stomach ache. I told her how surprised I was that earlier none of our companions recognized it as a medicinal plant. She said that in the past it was not used for ornamental purposes, but it was used to make a tea, that was commonly drunk not only for stomach problems but also just as an everyday beverage. But then coffee came, and become more and more popular, and more widely available. And when everyone there started to plant their own coffee and drink it daily, everyone started to forget about Tsaang Gubat - the indigenous drink of their ancestors.
Fukien Tea is also known under latin name Carmona retusa, its other synonyms, that are rather out of use today, include Ehretia buxifolia, Carmona microphylla, Carmona heterophylla, Cordia retusa, Ehretia retusa, Ehretia heterophylla, Ehretia dentata, Ehretia monopyrena. It is also known as Baapanaburi in India, Ji Ju Shu in China, Scorpionbush in Australia, Kinangan in Indonesia, Fukumangi in Japan, Khoi Cheen in Thailand to give just few.

CULTIVATION AND HARVESTING

Fukien Tea is a evergreen shrub with weeping branches, that can reach up to 4m high and same in diameter. It grows wild both in wet thickets, forests and dry open spaces in tropical regions of South-east Asia and Australasia. It requires full sun or partial shade and thrives in high temperatures and humidity but is quite drought resistant. Ehretia microphylla does not tolerate temperatures lower than 0'C, but is well known for being easy to grow as a houseplant in temperate regions, and is one of the most popular plants in the world, for forming into bonsai. It is perfect plant for cutting and creative shaping into fancy shrubs and live fences, with its thick nature and nice little, glossy leaves. It has tiny white flowers and orange berries. Whole stems with leaves can be gathered at any time, to be used fresh or to dry.

CULINARY USES

Fresh, well chopped leaves can be boiled for around 15 minutes, or dried crushed leaves can be prepared in a way as green tea, to make refreshing, caffeine-free drink, delightful both hot and cold. Its tiny stony berry fruits are edible.

MEDICINAL USES

Ehretia microphlla is widely used in the Philippines where it is usually called Tsaang Gubat or Chaang Gubat. Philippine Department of Health endorsed this plant in list of 10 thoroughly tested and clinically proven herbs recommended for home use in '' Traditional Medicinal Program ''. In form of decoction from fresh shredder or dried crushed leaves and stems, it is used for: intestinal motility, stomach pain, diarrhoea, dysentery, gastroenteritis, colic, cough and fever. And also as a disinfectant wash for eczema, scabies, after childbirth, and as a mouth gargle for tooth decay (it have high fluoride content). Tsaang Gubat is hardly but available on market in form of teas, extracts, pills and capsules.
In the Siddha Medicine System ( traditional medicine of Sri Lanka) it is called Kuruvichi or Kuruvichi poondu, and is used for fevers, cough, stomach and bowels complains, leprosy, eczema due to venereal diseases, skeletal fractures, infertility and diarrhoea in children. The roots decoctions are used for cachexia, syphilis, diabetes and as a antidote for viper bites and certain poisonous plants, including raw cassava.
Ehretia microphylla contain microphyllones, kampferols (astragalin, nicotiflorin), baurenol, ursolic acid, rosmarinic acid, sterols (stigmasterol, stigmastanol, daucosterol, ehretianone [chemical that protect against action of snake venom], cholesterol, campesterol, beta-sitosterol), triterpenes (a-amyrin, b-amyrin), flavonoids, quinones, alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, tannins and fluoride.
It is antioxidant, antiinflammatory, antibacterial, analgesic, antiallergic, antimutagenic, antitumor, antidiarrheal, stomachic, febrifuge, antispasmodic, antifungal and alterative. Laboratory studies shown that dried powder of Ehretia microphylla can be used for treating irregular ovulation disorders and promotes fertility in female. In small quantities this herb is safe for babies and is given as a colic treatment for bottle-fed babies. Methanolic extract of leaves of Ehretia microphylla has shown strong antihistamine release properties.