Botanical name

Agathosma ciliaris

Family

Rutaceae

Common Name

Hairy Buchu
Agathosma ciliaris
Agathosma ciliaris
Agathosma ciliaris
Agathosma ciliaris

Description

Dense round shrub growing to 45cm. Aniseed-scented, lance-shaped leaves are often hairy on the margins. Flowers are white or mauve; long lance-shaped staminodes.

The Rutaceae family has bean-shaped seeds which ripen to a shiny black with a waxy eliasome body at one end; seeds are ejected by an elastic mechanism of the inner wall of the fruit, to a metre or more; seeds are gathered and buried by ants which feed on the protein rich eliasome; seeds left underground are triggered to germinate by smoke from veld fires.

Habitat

Coastal and lower sandstone slopes

Flower Date

May to December

Threatened plant Species
Identification

CR    Critically Endangered 
EN  Endangered  
VU  Vulnerable
NT   Near Threatened 
R Rare