Common Name:

General Information

Camphorosma monspeliaca is an evergreen plant, forming a dense mat of overwintering, short, more or less woody stems at the soil surface. Each spring, numerous, ascending to erect annual stems that are branched above arise from this mat of woody stems and grow 10 - 50cm tall[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - from southeastern Europe through southwestern and central Asia to southwestern Siberia, Mongolia and western China

Habitat

Saline soils and dry waste places, north to latitude 53°north in eastern central Russia[]. Gobi desert, deserts, arid slopes, dunes, wastelands[].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.35 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Camphorosma monspeliaca is a typical plant of steppe and semi-desert regions[]. It can tolerate cold winters but strongly dislikes winter wet and also needs hot summers in order to grow well. It is therefore best suited to a continental climate and can be very difficult to grow in more maritime areas.
Prefers a sandy soil[]. It succeeds on sunny slopes in the warmer maritime areas of Britain[11. 166. 182], it is probably not hardy in other areas of the country.
The stems and leaves emit a powerful camphor-like scent[, , ].
Flowers can be female or hermaphrodite[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

An extract of the plant is antiasthmatic, diaphoretic, diuretic, emmenagogue, expectorant, stimulant[]. It is also used to control menstruation[].

The plant has been shown to have effective antioxidant properties[].

Other Uses

An essential oil with the aroma of camphor is obtained from the plant. It is used medicinally[]. The plant yields 0.2% essential oil[].

Propagation

Seed - we have no details of this species but would suggest that it is best sown in late winter or early spring in a freely-draining compost in a greenhouse with the seed only just covered. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. Grow on the plants for at least the first winter in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring or early summer.