''Agathosma betulina'' (previously ''Barosma betulina'') is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Rutaceae The Rutaceae is a family, commonly known as the rueRUTACEAE
in BoDD – Botanical Der ...

, native to the lower elevation mountains of western

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the ...

, where it occurs near streams in fynbos habitats.

Growth

It is an

evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...

shrub growing to tall. The leaves are opposite, rounded, about long and broad, glossy, and fragrant. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...

s are white or pale pink, with five petals; the

fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...

is a five-parted capsule which splits open to release the seeds.

Etymology

It is known by the common name round leaf buchu. The very similar plant '' Agathosma crenulata'' (previously ''Barosma crenulata'') is known as the oval leaf buchu, and has been used for the same purposes. The two are chemically distinct, however; for example, ''A. betulina'' contains quercetin-dimethyl ether-glucoside, while ''A. crenulata'' does not.

Uses

Wild plants of this species are still plentiful but are being harvested faster than they can reproduce. The threat of their becoming scarce has led to efforts to cultivate them. The essential oils and extracts of the leaves are used as flavoring for teas, candy, and a liquor known as buchu brandy in South Africa. The two primary chemical constituents of the oils of ''A. betulina'' are

isomenthone Menthone is a monoterpene with a minty flavor that occurs naturally in a number of essential oil An essential oil is a concentrated hydrophobic liquid containing volatile (easily evaporated at normal temperatures) chemical compounds from pla ...

and diosphenol. The extract is said to taste like blackcurrant.

Folk medicine

The plant has been used by the indigenous people of South Africa to as a folk remedy for various disorders, including urinary tract infections. Dutch settlers in early times used Agathosma betulina commonly called buchu to make a brandy tincture. The tincture is still used today.Simpson D. Buchu--South Africa's amazing herbal remedy. Scott Med J. 1998;43:189–9
Buchu--South Africa's amazing herbal remedy.
/ref>

References

* Van Wyk, Ben-Erik (2005). ''Food Plants of the World''. Portland Oregon: Timber Press, Inc. *Lis-Balchin M., Hart S. and Simpson E. (2001). Buchu (''Agathosma betulina'' and ''A. crenulata'', Rutaceae) essential oils: their pharmacological action on guinea-pig ileum and antimicrobial activity on microorganisms. ''J Pharm Pharmacol.'' 53(4):579-82. {{Taxonbar, from=Q194513 Zanthoxyloideae Plants used in traditional African medicine