Re: Buchus
At 05:42 PM 9/20/1999 GMT, you wrote:
>What on earth's THAT? I admit it sounds more like a smart new swear
>word ('How're you feeling?' 'Absolutely buchus') than anything to do
>with plants but in fact it's apparently a word from the Koikhoi
>language (singular buchu, plural buchus) commonly used in South Africa
>to describe those smaller shrubby members of the Rutaceae family which
>have pleasantly scented leaves when touched, rubbed or crushed, at
>least some of which are not only grown in S. African gardens but are
>grown commercially (for use in cosmetics, scents, soaps, etc). The
>genera involved include Acmadenia, Adenandra, Agathosma, Coleonema,
>Diosma, Empleurum, Euchaetis, Macrostylis, Phyullosma and
>Sheilanthera. Never heard of'em? Nor have I. At least, not of most
>of'em. That's the reason for this posting. I'm not showing off what I
>know, I'm confessing what I don't and asking if anyone else can help.
>The only genus of the whole gang of which I have personal experience
>is the Agathosma. And believe me they're miniature beauties. The one I
>grow myself is A. imbricata but I have a friend (a fortunate woman
>with one garden in Scotland and one in South Africa) who also grows A.
>crenulata and A. betulina (both of which are among the plants grown
>commercially for the cosmetics industry).
These are used as flavorings for herbal wines in South Africa and cocktails
in Tunisia and as a medicinal brandy preparation, The genus was called
Barosma previously, and the plants have a strong thymelike odor. This info
comes from the Golden Nature Guide to Herbs and Spices (Julia Morton).
Agathosma obovata seems to
>be the other sp available in the UK. All of these Agathosma spp (and I
>suspect all the other genera involved as well) make neat, upright,
>small-leaved, evergreen bushes, to around a couple of feet max. Apart
>from scented foliage, all have characteristically rue-family clusters
>of small flowers (colours are, also characteristically, white or pink
>or lilac). Those I have some personal acquaintance with I'd describe
>as dapper and charming rather than stunning or show-stopping but
>certainly well worth growing.
>Queries: are any of these genera grown elsewhere (apart from S.A.
>itself, that is)? None, apart from that single sp, Agathosma ovata,
>seems to be commercially available in the UK - and that single species
>from a single nursery, that of the splendid Derry Watkins, who has a
>particular interest in S. African plants. Does anyone on this list
>grow or know any of them? If so, any comments, on their desirability,
>cultivation, possible hardiness, would be much appreciated.
>
>(Not-too-seriously, I'd love to grow a Sheilanthera or two - tho' I
>suppose I should need to use my best cod-Australian accent when
>explaining to visitors what they were...)
>
>Tim Longville
If not yet available from Silverhill Seeds, perhaps soon?
Richard F. Dufresne
313 Spur Road
Greensboro, NC 27406
336-674-3105
