tea tree (tea tree)

noun

• 1 (also ti tree) an Australasian flowering shrub or small tree whose leaves are sometimes used for tea. Some species yield an oil valued for its antiseptic properties.

  • Genera Leptospermum and Melaleuca, family Myrtaceae: several species, in particular Melaleuca alternifolia, whose leaves yield an essential oil

• 2 (also Duke of Argyll's tea tree) an ornamental boxthorn native to the Mediterranean.

  • Lycium barbarum, family Solanaceae