10 Passerina corymbosa Seeds - Bakers Bush - Indigenous South African Endemic Shrub

Passerina is a genus in the plant family Thymelaeaceae. They are ericoid bushes growing largely in fynbos and other Southern African scrub habitats. Members of the genus Passerina are ericoid shrubs or shrublets, often with a tendency to having pendulous branches. Their leaves are markedly decussate. They are concave or closely involute, lined with woolly hairs, and cling to leafy stems without being large enough to cover them. This gives the plants a characteristic plaited or corded appearance. The genus is endemic to Southern Africa, most species within South Africa, though some extend north of the border. The greatest concentration of species is in Cape fynbos, where some species are endemic to very small regions. Passerina ericoides for example occurs naturally only on the Cape Peninsula and the vicinity of False Bay. The Khoisan name gonna refers to the use of its tough bark, together with that of related plants, for binding such items as thatch. The material certainly is remarkably tough and has been used for plaiting into whip thongs. The Khoisan use of a decoction of some species for treating pain, plus the fact that many species of the Thymelaeaceae suggests that the material might be pharmacologically active, but there is no suggestion that the plants cause harm to stock. However, this harmlessness might well be for the same reason that the plants generally are of no value as forage for browsers, namely that they are unpalatable to stock.

Passerina corymbosa commonly known as Gonna Bush in English and Gonnabos or Bakkerbos in Afrikaans grows into a medium to tall shrub covered in masses of small creamy flowers. It is fast growing and would be a welcome addition to any fynbos garden. Passerina corymbosa is the most frequently encountered species in the genus Passerina and varies in height from 1-3 m. The stems which are made up of extremely tough fibers are not easy to break and the bark peels off in long, toh strips. Passerina corymbosa, like most other taxa in this genus, was used to heat up ovens. When set alight, a tremendous blaze was produced and this would rapidly heat the oven. Due to its tough stems, the bakkerbos was also very effective in tying down thatch. Khoi people are said to have used certain Passerina species as cordage for the purpose of tying together poles for huts, and also plaited into twine and thongs for whips. This plant plays a vital role in anchoring the sandy soils of coastal dunes and their removal can cause significant erosion. It is also useful as a filler in floral displays.

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