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COMMON NAME: Buchu
LATIN NAME: Agathosma Betulina
ORIGIN: South Africa
HABITAT: Agathosma Betulina grows exclusively in South Africa, and is cultivated only there. Shrubs are abundant in mountains in the Western Cape of South Africa. It is likely that the reason for this is the peculiarity of the climate of this region, where winters are mild and humid, and summers do not look like tropical, almost like the Mediterranean summer.
BOTANICAL INFORMATION: Buchu (lat. Agathosma betulina) is a small shrub perennial plant, one of 140 species of the genus Agathosma, the Rutaceae family. Agathosma Betulina plant is common in the highlands of South Africa. Previously, agatosmus ("agatozma") was attributed to the Barosma family (currently lat. Barosma Willd), which was disbanded.
Agathosma Betulina is an evergreen perennial shrub plant, the height of which varies from 30 to 50 cm. The stems are branched, with small oval, leathery, dark green leaves. The leaves of the plant emit pleasant mint-camphor aroma, similar to the smell of currants. The leaves contain glands - special multicellular containers in which essential oil is formed. Buchu flowers are white, axillary, and five-membered. Corolla consists of five petals and five stamens.
Agathosma Betulina begins flowering in spring, and fruiting occurs in late summer. The fruit of the plant is a five-celled box. The plant propagates vegetatively by cuttings. The plant can be cultivated in greenhouses, if to create conditions similar to natural.
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION:
The chemical composition of Agathosma Betulina is rich in many minerals and vitamins. The leaves contain: menton, limonene, resins and bitter substances, quercetin, hesperidin, rutin, flavonoid diosmin, mucopolysaccharides, B vitamins, vitamin A, C, E, trace elements: magnesium, potassium, sodium, selenium, zinc, chromium, iron , manganese, etc. The essential oil of the plant, which in found in the leaves, is rich in diosphenol (25-40%).
HISTORY:
The Latin name of the genus Agathosma is translated as “pleasant aroma”, this is true. Other names for Agatosma "bucco" or "barosma" are translations from the Latin synonymous names of the plant Barosma.
Buchu or Agathosma is a protected plant in the Cape Floristic Kingdom. Europeans learned about this plant in 1800; in 1821, Agathosma entered the British Pharmacopoeia.
The European colonists learned about the beneficial properties of Agathosma at the beginning of the 18th century. In those days, the leaves of an African plant were extremely expensive and valued. One batch of dried leaves was exchanged for a large lamb.
*This article is for informational purposes only. We suggest consulting a physician before using these or any other herbal supplements.
