5 Agathosma ovata Mixed Varieties Seeds - Indigenous South African Shrub Seeds To Buy from Africa

Agathosma ovata Mixed Varieties Seeds

False Buchu

Agathosma is a genus of about 140 species of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, indigenous to the southern part of Africa. Common names include Buchu, Boegoe, Bucco, Bookoo and Diosma. Buchu formally denotes two herbal species, prized for their fragrance and medicinal use. They are small shrubs and subshrubs, mostly with erect woody stems reaching 30–100 cm tall, but low-growing and prostrate in some species. Many of the species are highly aromatic, and the genus name means "good fragrance". Some species of the genus, most notably Agathosma betulina are used as herbal remedies. Agathosma ovata is a variable shrub and occurs from the Western Cape up into Kwazulu-Natal and Lesotho. It is commonly known as the false buchu. Buchu's volatile oils also act as a deterrent to plant eaters and protect the bushes from pests. The oils may also be released on hot days to from a layer of vapour that protect the plant from excess transpiration. Agathosma ovata 'Glentana' and Agathosma ovata 'Witteklip' are two other selection forms of this species which make good garden plants.