''Chironia baccifera'', known as Christmas berry (a name it shares with ''
Passerina ericoides
''Passerina ericoides'', the Christmas berry, is a threatened species of plant in the family Thymelaeaceae, genus '' Passerina''. It is indigenous to the coastal fynbos
Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrublan ...
''), bitterbossie or aambeibessie, is species of ''
Chironia'' native to southern South Africa.
A bushy shrub, it can reach 1m, but is typically 0.5m in width and height. Its Afrikaans name ''aambeibessie'' refers to its supposed medicinal use in treating haemorrhoids.
It is used as an ornamental, preferring sandy soils. It is mildly toxic.
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13034166
Gentianaceae
Endemic flora of South Africa
Flora of the Cape Provinces
Flora of KwaZulu-Natal
Garden plants of Southern Africa
Plants described in 1753
Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus