Tarchonanthus littoralis

Tarchonanthus littoralis, or the coastal camphor bush as it is commonly known, also grows at Nature’s Valley. Cobwebby hairs are often found on upper stems and leaves, a feature shared with other Tarchonanthus trees.

The Greek words tarchos meaning funeral and anthos meaning flower give the clues as to the use trees of the genus, Tarchonanthus, had been put to in ancient times: The camphor fragrance of flowers and other plant parts made them popular at funerals; maybe not so much today.

The specific name, littoralis, meaning coastal, indicates the southern, coastal parts of South Africa, so not the species featuring at Greek funerals millennia ago (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Venter, 2012, Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist).