Holarrhena Pubescens

Holarrhena pubescens is a handsome tropical shrub or tree ranging from eastern and southern Africa through the Indian subcontinent to Indo-China. Glossy green leaves frame clusters of fragrant, white, pinwheel-shaped flowers, followed by pairs of long narrow pods that split to release numerous silky-tailed seeds. Known as kurchi or the conessi tree, it has a long place in traditional medicine, although all such use requires expert supervision. In cultivation it makes an attractive warm-greenhouse specimen, combining clean white blossom, elegant foliage and unusual fruiting structures.