Tutsan (Hypericum androsaemum) grows
throughout the British Isles in damp parts of woods and hedges. It is a
shrub-like semi-evergreen plant with branching stems that bear large stalkless
leaves. It grows to a height of 40 inches (100 centimetres).
The flowers, which grow in small clusters,
appear from June to August. They are yellow and five-petalled, being
particularly noticeable for the many prominent stamens that look like pins
sticking out of a pin-cushion.
The young fruits are red and fleshy, turning
black when ripe.
The plant has long been used for medicinal
purposes as the leaves have antiseptic properties that have proved effective in
preventing open wounds from becoming infected. The names “tutsan” is a
corruption of Anglo-Norman “toute-saine” which means “all-healthy”.
The leaves of tutsan are odourless when
fresh but, when dried, smell pleasantly of ambergris, which is an ingredient
(normally obtained from whales) that has been used in many perfumes. The aroma
can last for up to four years which has given dried tutsan leaves a function as
scented bookmarks. This property is also responsible for an alternative name
for tutsan, namely “sweet amber”.
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