Acmadenia heterophylla leaves

The small, chubby leaves of Acmadenia heterophylla are stalkless. They are clustered densely at stem-tips and spaced sub-opposite lower down along the pinkish red young stems.

The glossy green bladelets are concave on top, the thick margins rounded. Hairiness is visible on upper stems and along the margins.

The evergreen shrub is many-stemmed, growing into a neat, compact shape. It exudes a sweet lemony scent when touched, brought about by oil glands on the leaves.

The scent relates to the fact that Acmadenia (and the other buchus) form part of the Rutaceae or citrus family (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org).