Rooibos
Rooibos (/ˈrɔɪbɒs/ ROY-boss; Afrikaans: [ˈroːi̯bɔs] ⓘ, lit. 'red bush'), or Aspalathus linearis, is a broom-like member of the plant family Fabaceae that grows in South Africa's fynbos biome.
| Rooibos | |
|---|---|
| Prepared rooibos | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Subfamily: | Faboideae |
| Genus: | Aspalathus |
| Species: | A. linearis |
| Binomial name | |
| Aspalathus linearis | |
The leaves are used to make a herbal tea that is called rooibos (especially in Southern Africa), bush tea, red tea, or redbush tea (predominantly in Great Britain).
The tea has been popular in Southern Africa for generations, and since the 2000s has gained popularity internationally. The tea has an earthy flavour that is similar to yerba mate or tobacco.
Rooibos was formerly classified as Psoralea but is now thought to be part of Aspalathus following Dahlgren (1980). The specific name of linearis was given by Burman (1759) for the plant's linear growing structure and needle-like leaves.
The name rooibos is Afrikaans from rooi bos, meaning 'red bush'.