Agathosma
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| Image:Koeh-020.jpg Agathosma betulina
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Agathosma is a genus of about 135 species of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, native to the southern part of Africa. Common names include Bookoo, Buchu, Bucco, and Diosma.
They are small shrubs and subshrubs, mostly with erect woody stems reaching 30-100 cm tall, but low-growing and prostrate in some species. The leaves are arranged variably, often crowded, simple, entire, from 0.5-3.5 cm long. The flowers are produced in terminal clusters, 0.7-2 cm diameter, with five white, pink, red or purple, petals.
Many of the species are highly aromatic, and the genus name means "good fragrance". Some species of the genus are used as herbal remedies.
[edit] Synonyms
- Barosma Willd.
- Hartogia L.
- Parapetalifera J. C. Wendl.
[edit] Selected species
- Agathosma apiculata
- Agathosma betulina (syn. Barosma betulina), used as a herbal kidney conditioner
- Agathosma bifida
- Agathosma ciliata
- Agathosma ciliaris
- Agathosma corymbosa
- Agathosma crenulata (syn. Barosma crenulata), used as a herbal kidney conditioner
- Agathosma hirta
- Agathosma imbricata
- Agathosma ovata False Buchu
- Agathosma puberula
- Agathosma mucronulata Buchu
- Agathosma pentachotoma
- Agathosma pulchella
- Agathosma pungens
- Agathosma rugosa
