Skip to main content

Broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)

Kayu putih buku or broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) are small to medium sized trees in Myrtaceae, up to 20 m high, stems covered by thin white, cream, and gray paper skin. The leaves are arranged, flat, rough, spear-shaped, dull or green-gray, 55–120 mm long and 10–31 mm wide.

The flowers are packed in strands at the end of the branch and continue to grow after flowering, sometimes also in the upper leaf axils. Each strand contains 5 to 18 flower groups, diameters up to 40 mm and lengths of 20-50 mm. The petals are about 3 mm long and fall out when the flowers age.

Dlium Broad-leaved paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia)

Flowers are followed by woody fruits, shaped cylindrical capsules wide, 2.5-4 mm long and in groups. Each capsule contains many small seeds that appear every year. M. quinquenervia has proven to be a different chemical form and is widely used traditionally. Drinks are made from young aromatic leaves to treat colds, headaches, and common ailments.

Leaf oil from chemotype cineole is used externally for coughs, colds, neuralgia, and rheumatism. Nerolidol and linalool chemotypes are also cultivated and distilled on a small scale for fragrances. Bark like paper is used traditionally to make coolamons, shelter and wrap baked goods.



Nectar is traditionally extracted by washing in water and consumed as a drink. Scented flowers also produce yellow honey, very flavorful although not considered a high-quality honey but popular. Essential oils for various cosmetic products, antiseptic and antibacterial agents for bladder infections, respiratory problems and inflammation of the nasal mucous membranes.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Rosids
Order: Myrtales
Family: Myrtaceae
Genus: Melaleuca
Species: M. quinquenervia

Popular Posts

Sea almond (Terminalia catappa)

Ketapang or tropical almond or beach almond or talisay tree or umbrella tree or sea almond ( Terminalia catappa ) is a species of plant in the Combretaceae, a shady tree, fast growing, forming a multilevel canopy, often used as a shade tree in gardens and on roadsides. T. catappa grows large, up to 40 meters in height and up to 1.5 meters in trunk, shady canopy with branches that grow flat and terraced, young trees often look like pagodas while old and large trees often have aerial roots up to 3 meters. The leaves are scattered, mostly at the end of the twig, rounded egg upside down, 8-38 cm long, 5-19 cm wide, the tip is wide, the base is narrow, the upper surface is smooth, green but turns red if to fall out and short stalks. The flowers are small, collected near the tips of the twigs, 8-25 cm long and green-yellow in color. The flowers are not crowned, the petals have five taju, are plate or bell shaped, 4-8 mm long and are white or cream in color. Stamens in two circles and arra...

Purple nutsedge (Cyperus rotundus)

Teki or purple nutsedge ( Cyperus rotundus ) is a species of plant in the Cyperaceae, an erect annual growing to a height of up to 140 cm, the leaves sprout in rows of three from the base to a length of 5-20 cm, ribbon-shaped, pointed tip and green in color. The inflorescence has a stalk with a triangular cross section and is green. The inflorescence has three to eight unequal spikes. The flower is bisexual, has 3 stamina and the pistil has three stigmas. The fruit is achene and triangular. Teki prefers dry places, but will tolerate moist soil and often grows in wastelands and in crop fields. Tubers are an important source of nutrition for migratory cranes. Source of carbohydrates in the tropics in times of famine. The initial stage forms a white fleshy rhizome, 25 mm long and in chains. Some of the rhizomes grow upright above the ground, then form a tuber-like structure from which new shoots and roots grow, new roots and new rhizomes grow. Other rhizomes grow horizontally or down...

Asian foxtail (Uraria crinita)

Asian foxtail or cat's tail bean ( Uraria crinita ) is a species of plant in Fabaceae, a perennial, upright shrub with woody stems at least at the base, up to 2 meters high in forests, agricultural land, waterways, used as a medicinal herb, green manure and sometimes planted in the garden as an ornamental plant. U. crinita has elongated leaves, rounded base, pointed tip, a bone in the middle with several pinnate veins, rough surface, dark green with white spots. Petiole short or less than 0.5 cm and brownish red. Compound flower in spike shape, purple and white triangular crown. Long flower stalk, erect, 15-20 cm long and only at the end of the flower. The crown slowly falls off and leaves behind a stalk that is shaped like coir or light yellow pads. Asian foxtail grows in dry grasslands, open forests, trash cans, roadsides, sandy areas and sometimes in deciduous forests, elevations of 0-1500 meters and does not grow in waterlogged places. The different parts are often used in t...