Agathosma capensis

Agathosma capensis, in Afrikaans commonly called anysboegoe (aniseed buchu) or steenbokboegoe, is a variable shrub growing to heights between 30 cm and 1 m. The plant resprouts after fire and tends to coppice.

The usually smooth leaves are needle-like to oval, strongly spice-scented, especially when crushed. They become from 2 mm to 7 mm long and up to 2 mm wide.

The white, pink or purple flowers grow in loose, terminal clusters. There are five petals, long styles and stamens with additional peg-shaped staminodes, thin in their upper halves. The superior ovary is three-segmented as the fruit capsule that follows. Flower diameter is about 5 mm. There is usually flowers on the shrub throughout the year, more during the second half.

The species distribution ranges from Namaqualand through the Western Cape to the Cape Peninsula and eastwards to the Eastern Cape as far as Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). The photo was taken on Hoy Koppie in Hermanus.

The plants grow on slopes and flats in shale, granitic or sandy soils in varied vegetation surroundings, including renosterveld, fynbos and more, at elevations from 15 m to 1800 m. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; http://pza.sanbi.org; www.redlist.sanbi.org).