Agathosma martiana leaves and buds

The short-petioled leaves of Agathosma martiana alternate or spiral and overlap on the stems.

The leaf-shape is ovate to rounded, tapering to a pointed tip with a short, spiny protrusion and the base rounded. The smooth, dark-green blades are slightly convex on top. The lower surface is paler with dark, scattered gland dots, translucent along the margins. The margins are entire and whitish, with glands and sometimes hair fringes on their lower parts. The leaves exude a pungent odour. Leaf length varies from 3 mm to 7 mm.

Dense clusters of about seven or eight globose buds are present at the tips of the red stems in picture. The buds are very pale green where the sepals have not yet been parted by the white petals (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; JSTOR; iNaturalist; http://www.worldfloraonline.org).