Assignment/exercise
USC Plant Profile - Myrtaceae, Callistemon citrinus
University of the Sunshine Coast
2022
Appears in UniSC Plant Profiles
Abstract
Callistemon citrinus, commonly known as the Crimson Bottlebrush, is a shrub native to Australia (Radulovic et al. 2015). C. citrinus grows well in wet conditions, generally reaching 4 metres in height (ANBG 192). The flower consists of massed bright red stamens (ANBG 1972). C. citrinus flowers twice per year in summer from early November and in autumn from the end of March (ANBG 1972).
The flowers of C. citrinus have long been used for ethnomedical purposes to remedy numerous diseases, including bacterial, fungal, viral and parasite infections (Radulovic et al. 2015). The major compound, phloroglucinol, was discovered through gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses of the flower and leaf extracts in C. citrinus (Radulovic et al. 2015). The phloroglucinol demonstrated significant in vitro antioxidant activity linked to anti-inflammatory and antinociceptive properties (Radulovic et al. 2015).
Additionally, the flowers have been traditionally used as indigenous food among the Aboriginal Australians (Radulovic et al. 2015). Accordingly, the consumption of C. citrinus among Indigenous peoples may have provided them with a higher chance of survival during harsher environmental conditions (Radulovic et al. 2015).
Details
- Title
- USC Plant Profile - Myrtaceae, Callistemon citrinus
- Authors
- Rhiannon Pitt (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Location
- Latitude: -26.719 Longitude: 153.061; USC Sippy Downs Campus
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Date collected
- 22-Mar-2022
- Date published
- 2022
- Copyright note
- © The Author. Reproduced with permission.
- Organisation Unit
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99708798402621
- Output Type
- Assignment/exercise; Plant Profile Sheet
- Teaching and Learning
- ENS221; Plant Diversity and Ecology
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