The species Cistus clusii, known as romerina or male rosemary, it is a shrubby plant belonging to the Cistaceae family. Natural of the Mediterranean basin, it is an Iberian North African plant that adapts to low fertility soils of calcareous origin.
Romerina is a highly branched plant with evergreen, narrow and opposite leaves, slightly slimy to the touch and suffructice. It generally tends to be confused with rosemary (Halimium umbellatum), but its flowers are larger and it gives off a strong smell of resin.
The flowers are grouped in clustered inflorescences of 3-8 units of white color with elongated and hairy peduncles that bloom between April and July. It is a very drought tolerant species and capable of growing in intervened and stony soils, ideal for restoration and sustainable gardening..
Indeed, it grows on sandy and dry soils of calcareous origin, on scrublands and stony slopes associated with wild dryland crops. It is commonly known, in addition to romerine and male rosemary, as black steppe, jagz, bankruptcy pot or tamarilla.
In the traditional tree shop it is used as an anti-inflammatory and healing of external injuries, it is also applied as a regenerator of the scalp. On the other hand, the ingestion of infusions with leaves and stems of romerin is an effective antirheumatic and pectoral, which also favors circulation.
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The species Cistus clusii It is an evergreen shrub with erect branches and a short habit that reaches just one meter in height. Usually 40 to 70 cm long, with densely branched, greyish or brownish stems, which are slightly hairy when tender..
The pubescent branches of vertical growth and erect from the base are densely covered by small opposite and linear leaves. The leaves are bright green on the upper side, also clear and tomentose on the underside. Has rumpled margins and prominent venation.
The pentameric flowers of 2.5-3 cm in diameter and whitish tones are grouped in 3-8 units in terminal umbels. They have peduncles, pedicels and hairy calyces, three deciduous sepals, as well as ovaries and obvious stamens..
The fruit is a capsule 4-8 mm long, divided into five valves with abundant hairs or stellate filaments. The seeds are smooth or slightly grainy. Flowering occurs during spring and fruiting occurs during summer.
Romerin exudes an oleo-gomorresin made up of gums, esters, ladaniol, phenols and bitter principles that give it its characteristic odor. Its essential oil contains more than 50 substances, including borneol, calamene, camphene, limonene, ariophylene oxide, pinene, sabinene and tricycline..
- Kingdom: Plantae.
- Subkingdom: Tracheobionta.
- Division: Magnoliophyta.
- Class: Magnoliopsida.
- Subclass: Dilleniidae.
- Order: Malvales.
- Family: Cistaceae.
- Gender: Cistus.
- Species: Cistus clusii Dunal.
- Subspecies:
- Cistus clusii subsp. clusii.
- Cistus clusii subsp. multiflorus Demoly.
- Cistus: the name of the genus comes from the Greek "kisthos"latinized as"cysts"in references to various species of the genus Cistus L. On the other hand, certain authors relate the shape of its fruit with the Greek term "kistē"which means basket or box.
- clusii: the specific adjective was assigned in honor of the 16th century Flemish botanist Carolus Clusius.
Romerina grows on sandy and rocky soils, preferably of limestone origin, even on soils with a high gypsum content. It also has few nutritional requirements, so it develops effectively in soils that are not very fertile with a low content of organic matter..
It grows in full sun exposure, in dry environments with low humidity. It is also resistant to occasional frosts. It lives in bushes, fallows or intervened land, also on dunes in areas with a dry Mediterranean climate up to 1,200 meters above sea level..
It is distributed wildly throughout the Mediterranean basin, south of the Italian peninsula and North Africa from the Atlantic coast to Tunisia. In the Iberian Peninsula it is located in the southern coastal region and in the Balearic Islands.
In artisanal medicine, romerin is traditionally used to alleviate circulation problems, rheumatism and respiratory tract disorders..
The consumption of infusions with romerin leaves favors blood circulation in people who remain standing for a long time during work.
For a better effect it is recommended to macerate leaves and stems and ingest the resulting liquid. In addition, this extract with an unpleasant taste regulates the appearance of varicose veins..
Sitz baths with decoctions of leaves or topical applications of creams based on the plant, act as an anti-inflammatory of the lower extremities.
Indeed, problems related to heaviness or swelling of the legs can be alleviated through relaxing massages using romerin as an active ingredient..
The application of compresses prepared based on the maceration of leaves and branches helps to alleviate the symptoms caused by rheumatic pain. Indeed, shredded leaves and branches are used to prepare a decoction, the compress impregnated with this decoction is applied on the affected part to calm the pain.
The habitual consumption of an infusion with leaves and branches of romerin once a day alleviates the symptoms of the cold. This infusion is also effective in calming migraines and as a mouthwash to soothe toothaches..
In addition to improving circulation, regular consumption of romerin infusions lowers blood pressure in patients with high blood pressure. For this, the decoction with leaves and branches is diluted to a lower concentration, taking 1-2 times a day until the desired effect is achieved..
The consumption of romerin should be done with great care, depending on the texture and health of the person who consumes it. It should be noted that when ingesting the product it is not toxic, since its side effects have been little studied..
Due to its rustic character and presence of attractive flowers, it is used in the restoration of coastal areas or coastal dunes. It is also ideal for low-maintenance gardens in groups with shrub species, especially on banks with maritime influence..
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