Moorish broom (Retama raetam)

A branch of the shrub called Retama raetam full of white flowers

This is a shrub in the papillionaceae, fabaceae or legume family and was first detailed in 1775 by the Finnish naturalist Peter Forsskål. The Moorish broom as it is also called, is hermaphrodite, deciduous and can reach between 2,5 or 3,5 meters in height.

Its thin, rod-shaped branches and stems are flexible, first upright and then ending in pendulums.

Features

Raetam broom at different points of a mountain

When it ages its bark cracks, has a greenish color and leaves about three to seven millimeters long, these being lanceolate, silky and green on both sides.

Its very aromatic white or pink flowers, with purgative and diuretic properties, appear in clusters, developing from February to June.  The fruit ripens from June to SeptemberIt is ovoid, initially green and later dark reddish-brown or brown.

In its interior it generally contains a single smooth seed, also ovoid, greenish-yellowish to black. The roots have a bitter and repulsive taste.

It commonly grows in silty-sandy, rocky soils and coastal desert dunes and its roots penetrate deep into the earth to extract moisture. It is found in Sicily, North Africa and Western Asia and the Canary Islands.

It abounds in the Judean Desert, the Sinai Peninsula and in Arabia and previously it was used as fuel, obtaining an excellent charcoal from its wood.

The seeding of broom is used to recover soils degraded by its ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. Also to stabilize dunes and slopes, being normal to find it in the margins of highways and highways.

Habitually it is known to be an ornamental plant, a fascinating decorative element in low-maintenance gardens and whose colors include white, yellow, gray and black.

Uses

Similarly Its branches have been used for various uses, such as making baskets, brooms or rods, for livestock beds, heating bakery ovens, as a natural remedy and recently in the pharmaceutical industry.

In medicine it is used as a diuretic, in acute conditions of the respiratory system and eruptive fevers.

There are varieties of broom that contain a large amount of alkaloids, specifically sparteine, which is poisonous. So you must consume it wisely because it can cause poisoning.

You should also be careful with the dose, as a high dose will cause rapid heartbeat, vomiting, respiratory distress and diarrhea.

It is known that in public medicine in the eastern and northern Mediterranean areas treat microbial infections with leavesAlso in powder form it is intended to heal circumcision wounds and as antiseptics in skin eruptions.

It should be noted that studies were previously carried out to validate this property, evaluating the chemical composition and antimicrobial action of the basic oil of the flowers of the Retama raetam diluted in a paste, that acted against six species of bacteria. The oil was obtained thanks to a hydrodistillation process and was finally analyzed by mass spectrometry and gas chromatography.

Retama raetam shrub large with small white flowers

Other uses

And it is precisely in the medicinal field where flowers are often used, in the same way the stems, leaves and roots of the plant are indicated as we mentioned earlier. Highly recommended for urinary infections and patient with rheumatic complaints.

  • Fatigue, Diabetes and Kidney Stones: Take an extract of its dried flowers as seasonal water.
  • Sciatica: Grind and marinate the flower ends for six days, pour into a liter of dry wine. Take two drinks a day.
  • Diuretic and Constipation: Cook the flowers in a liter of water and drink in the morning and at night for several days.
  • Fungi: Decoction of broom leaves and flowers. Wash the affected area with this water.
  • Epilepsy and Nerves: Its fresh fruits and flowers in preserved water help to improve.
  • Parasites and Intestinal Parasitosis: You have to make a decoction of leaves, roots and flowers for 5 minutes. Drink 3 glasses a day for a week.
  • Heart spasms: Infusion of 20 flowers in a liter of water.

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