Agathosma
(from agathos, pleasant, and osme, smell; the plants contained in this genus have a pleasant smell). SYNS. Bucco, Dichosma. ORD. Rutaceae. Beautiful small Heath-like greenhouse shrubs, from the Cape of Good Hope. Flowers in terminal heads, or umbels; petals five, divided, with long claws, and scattered, short, narrow leaves, usually with revolute edges. They are of easy culture, thriving best in a mixture of sand and peat, with the addition of a little turfy loam. Young cuttings will strike root freely in a pot of sand, under a bell glass, in a cool house. They require to be shaded somewhat in the summer. Winter temperature, 40deg. to 45deg. About forty-six species are known.
A. acuminata (taper-pointed leaved).* fl. violet; calyces smooth, glandular, on terminal subcapitate heads. April. l. ovate, some what cordate, long acuminated, fringed, at length spreading. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1812. A. bruniades (Brunia-like).* fl. lilac or white, on terminal subumbellate heads; peduncles fastigiate, elongated. April. l. scattered, linear-trigonal, awl-shaped, dotted, and a little fringed; branches hairy. h. 1ft. 2ft. 1820.
A. cerefolia (Chervil-leaved). fl. white, small; pedicels and calyces beset with glandular hairs; heads terminal sub-umbellate. April. l. crowded, lanceolate, acute, spreading, keeled, fringed. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1794.
A. ciliata (ciliated).* fl. white; pedicels smoothish; heads terminal sub-umbellate.* April. l. scattered, lanceolate, acute, with toothletted-fringed, revolute edges, dotted beneath, and bearing hairs on the middle nerve, becoming at length reflexed. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1774.
A. erecta (upright).* fl. pale violet, terminal, sub-umbellate; peduncles short, villous. April. l. imbricate, trigonal, blunt, dotted beneath, a little fringed. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1818.
A. hirta (hairy). fl. purple, densely capitate; petals bearded at the claws. April. l. somewhat imbricate, linear, awl-shaped, channelled, hairy on the back, decurrent. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1794.
A. hispida (rough-haired). fl. violet, on terminal sub-umbellate heads; pedicels and sepals pubescent; petals quite smooth. May. l. crowded, linear, trigonal, blunt, spreading, hispid, keeled, and two-furrowed beneath. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1786.
A. imbricata (imbricated). fl. pale purple, in terminal sub-capitate heads; petals with a roundish limb; sepals smoothish; pedicels pubescent. April. l. imbricate, crowded, ovate, acuminated, dotted, fringed. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1774.
A. orbicularis (round-leaved). fl. white, on terminal sub-umbellate heads; stamens twice as long as the corolla; pedicels pubescent. April. l. scattered, spreading, orbicular, ovate, or reniform, smooth, reflexed, small, thickish, without any dots beneath; branches villous. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1790. A. prolifera (proliferous). fl. white, on terminal sub-umbellate heads; sepals smooth; pedicels somewhat fastigiate, pubescent. April. l. spreading, lanceolate, cuspidate; keel and edges fringed, dotted; branches whorled, proliferous. h. 1ft. to 3ft. 1790.
A. pubescens (downy). fl. white; umbels terminal; peduncles and sepals villous. April. l. lanceolate, trigonal, pointless, with margins and rib ciliated. h. 1ft to 2ft. 1798.
A. rugosa (coarsely-wrinkled). fl. white, on terminal sub-umbellate heads; sepals pubescent; pedicels capillary, clothed with glandular hairs. April. l. spreading, oblong or ovate, blunt, keeled, wrinkled, villous beneath, reflexed. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1790.
A. vestita (clothed). fl. lilac, on terminal sub-capitate heads; pedicels quite smooth. May. l. closely imbricated, ovate, acuminated, keeled, fringed. h. 1ft. to 2ft. 1824.