Name: carob tree
Legumes – Fabaceae (Leguminosae).
Popular names: sweet “horn”, Constantinople pod, John’s bread.
Pharmacy name: carob – Ceratoniae fructus (formerly: Fructus Ceratoniae), also Siliqua dulcis (sweet syrup).
Botanical description. Evergreen tree of medium height with leathery pinnate leaves. The female flowers develop into pods up to 12 cm long, brown in color, with a sweet fruity taste. It grows and is cultivated in the Mediterranean and subtropical areas, also in India, Argentina and Brazil.
Active ingredients: all kinds of sugars, starch, tannin, mucus, protein, pectins and organic acids.
Application. Serves as an ingredient in expectorant teas and mixed teas for diarrhea.