Cloves are the small reddish-brown, unripe flower buds from the tropical evergreen tree known as Syzygium aromaticum. The dried buds have been used since ancient times in many cultures for culinary, medicinal and even decorative purposes.

A necklace of cloves was discovered in a tomb alongside a mummy in Egypt, and during the Han-Dynasty (220-206 BC) in China, court officials were required to hold whole cloves in their mouths to sweeten their breath whilst addressing the Emperor.

Later in Europe, doctors breathed through clove-filled leather beaks believing it would ward off the plague, and German herbalists also used clove in a treatment for gout.
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It has taken many years to correctly identify niaouli (Melaleuca quinquenervia var. cineole) because there are several very similar plants that were originally mistaken for this one. Over the years a wide range of common names and synonyms were associated with all of these species which added to the confusion, taxonomically speaking.

For example, over the past 100 years this species has at various times been identified as; Metrosideros quinquenervia, Melaleuca viridiflora, Melaleuca leucadendron var. viridiflora, Melaleuca smithii, Melaleuca maidenii, Broad-leaved paperbark tree, White bottlebrush tree, Punk tree and the Five veined paperbark tree. Streuth!
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