Backhousia
citriodora F.Muell, Lemon Scented Myrtle by Dennis Archer
A review by Kathleen Petrides
In the world of Aromatherapy it is very hard to
find a book that is not
filled with myths, half-truths, outright lies and
'hand me down' fairy stories.
However I have found a nugget of pure gold amongst
the dross that floods the book
market today. The book is called "Backhousia
citriodora F.Muell, Lemon
Scented Myrtle" and is written by Dennis
Archer. Unlike most books on the market
today, the information presented is backed up by a
massive amount of research and
has a comprehensive bibliography.
The first half of the book is filled with
horticultural information on how
the tree grows, how to cultivate including precious
gems of advice such as
cautioning one to keep animals with cloven hooves
out of the orchard as well as
chickens as the tree's have a shallow root system
which would not be able to
handle damage inflicted by such animals. However
ducks and geese running around is
fine.
Dennis' descriptions of the lemony fragrance of the
flowers and crushed
leaves left this reader with a feeling of regretful
envy that this tree is not
currently cultivated in the United States. He also
explains in detail how the
wood, seed, flowers and leaves are used in cooking,
therapeutically and more.
The second half of the book will be of more
interest to those that use the
oil. Dennis describes how it's distilled, how the
oil has been used in the past
and present and speculates on how it might be used
in the near future. He also
presents a typical GC analysis and compares
different varieties of the Lemon
Myrtle tree and what kinds of oils they produce..
What is refreshingly and conspicuously absent are
pages of fabricated oil
recipes for those that have not the knowledge or
inclination to strike out on
their own and devise their own creations. This is a
book for those with a serious
desire to learn more about Lemon Scented Myrtle,
it's history and cultivation
and uses.
For more information on this book and how to
purchase a copy go to:
http://www.toona.com.au
Kathleen Petrides