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Brachyglottis repanda

Common name:	Bushman's Toilet Paper	Family:	Compositae
Author:	J.R.Forst.&G.Forst.	Botanical references:	44, 200
Synonyms:	Senecio georgii, Senecio forsteri (Schltdl.), Cineraria repanda
Known Hazards:	All parts of the plant are poisonous[173].
Range:	New Zealand.
Habitat:	Coastal to montane forest and scrub[173].
Edibility Rating (1-5):	2	Medicinal Rating (1-5):	1

Other Possible Synonyms:	From various places across the web, may not be correct. See below.
	B. rangiora[G]
Epithets:	From a Dictionary of Botanical Epithets
	repanda = curved up;
Systematics:	From a USDA Plants Database
	Order: Asterales. Renamed to Asteraceae -- Aster family

Physical Characteristics

An evergreen shrub growing to 6m by 6m at a slow rate. It is hardy to zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to May. The scented flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Insects. We rate it 2/5 for edibility and 1/5 for medicinal use.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires moist soil.

Habitats and Possible Locations

Woodland, Sunny Edge, Dappled Shade, By Walls, By South Wall, By East Wall, By West Wall.

Edible Uses

Gum.

A gum is obtained from the plant and is used for chewing[173]. It should not be swallowed[173], however, and in light of the warning on toxicity at the top of the page, perhaps it should not even be chewed[K].

Medicinal Uses

Disclaimer

Antihalitosis.

A gum obtained from the plant is chewed to sweeten the breath[173].

Other Uses

Miscellany.

The plant has large sage-green leaves with a white, hairy underside[245]. They are used as a substitute for toilet paper[173].

Cultivation details

Requires a good well-drained loamy soil in a sunny position[1, 200] or partial shade[182, 188].
Plants are quite frost-tender and only succeed outdoors in Britain in the mildest areas of the country[1, 200].
Some named forms have been developed for their ornamental value[182]. The flowers emit the sweet scent of mignonette, this is most pronounced at eventide[245].

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but the seed is probably best sown on the surface of a freely draining compost in the greenhouse as soon as it is ripe. Stored seed can be surface sown in the greenhouse in early spring. Do not allow the compost to dry out. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.
Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame[188].
Cuttings of mature wood of the current season's growth, November in a frame[200]. Very easy[1].

Scent

Flowers: Fresh: The flowers emit the sweet scent of mignonette, this is most pronounced at eventide.

Suppliers

For more details of plant suppliers please see our Suppliers Page which lists many more places to look.

Web References

[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[G] Data (Common Names, Uses, Distribution) from the USDA/ARS NPGS's GRIN taxonomic database.
[HP] Links, Photos, Suppliers from Hortiplex Plant Database

See the PFAF Links Pages for other sources.

Also try Photos and info from the The Plants Database which has 14,000 images.

References

[K] Ken Fern
Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.

[1] F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951
Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[44] Allan. H. H. Flora of New Zealand. Government Printer, Wellington. 1961
The standard work, in 3 volumes though only the first two are of interest to the plant project. Very good on habitats.

[173] Crowe. A. Native Edible Plants of New Zealand. Hodder and Stoughton 1990 ISBN 0-340-508302
A very well written and illustrated book based on the authors own experiments with living on a native diet.

[182] Thomas. G. S. Ornamental Shrubs, Climbers and Bamboos. Murray 1992 ISBN 0-7195-5043-2
Contains a wide range of plants with a brief description, mainly of their ornamental value but also usually of cultivation details and varieties.

[188] Brickell. C. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd. 1990 ISBN 0-86318-386-7
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.

[200] Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992 ISBN 0-333-47494-5
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[245] Genders. R. Scented Flora of the World. Robert Hale. London. 1994 ISBN 0-7090-5440-8
An excellent, comprehensive book on scented plants giving a few other plant uses and brief cultivation details. There are no illustrations.

Readers Comments

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Plant information taken from the Plants For A Future - Species Database. Copyright (c) 1997-2003.
WEB search engine by Rich Morris - Home Page- Contact Info
Blagdon Cross, Ashwater, Beaworthy, Devon, EX21 5DF, UK.
Website: www.pfaf.org Phone: 0845 458 4719/_44(0) 1208 872963

This page (UK) http://www.comp.leeds.ac.uk/cgi-bin/pfaf/arr_html?Brachyglottis+repanda
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We make no claims of magical effects or supernatural powers for any item in this catalog. In spite of legendary attributes or occult and craft tradition, such items are offered as curios only and beliefs concerning their magical effectiveness are related only for historical interest.