Unknown licorice bush.

[Trigger]

Hello everybody. I am new here and I signed up to see if anyone could possibly help me identify a little bush I have seen while fishing around the cape. I cant get photo's of it but I can describe it fairly accuratley. The most distinct thing is the strong licorice / aniseed smell of the tiny leaves when crushed. 1 or 2 in a billy of tea is magic to drink. I have once heard it called dreamtime bush. If anyone could help I can give a better description. Thanks in advance. Trigger.

[eataust]

I'm not good at the northern areas - hopefully someone else can help - but could you provide more information about its relative size, esp. the leaves? I would have said "Aniseed myrtle" but it's a taller tree with bay-tree sized leaves, with distinctly wavy edges.

[Trigger]

Thanks. Hopefully someone can help. It is a small bush, up to two feet high that I have seen. Upright growth, a little like a Lavender, but sparsley foliated. The leaves are up to 30mm long 10mm wide, usually smaller, oval shape, smooth but not glossy, with only the slightest hint of serrated edges if you look extremly closley. Medium olivy green in colour with visable veins slightly yellow in colour. Underside of leaf slightly lighter in colour. Flowers pink/purple in colour, tiny about 4mm long, tubular shaped with an extended bottom lip, sort of like a tiny orchid flower.Stamens extend outside of the flower. Flowers grow in a sparse cluster at the tips of branches. Leaves grow in an opposing fashon on the branches. Bark is light brown/ grey, slightly rough. Most leaves occur towards top of the plant. Smells like sambuca when crushed. Hope that is enough. I will try to get some pics... just have to find a camera.

[Trigger]

Forgot to add it grows in very poor, rocky, dry, shallow soil.

[Cherikoff]

It is probably Abrus precatorius which is common in the Gulf and across the Top End from Cape York to the Kimberley. It has delicious aniseed tasting leaves as you say and is an important plant for Aborigines as they used the red and black seeds as decoration for the head covering on their firesticks and threaded them for arm bands etc. The seeds are extremely poisonous with a single seed providing enough abrin to kill an adult. The seeds were and are still used as an abortogenic and less than a quarter of a seed is sufficient to bring on the desired effect. The effect comes on with cramps and the menstrual cycle starts within 2 hours.

Interestingly, the plant grows widely across the equatorial belt and the weight of the seeds (which is very uniform) is equivalent to 1 carat weight for diamonds.

[Trigger]

No its not that. I know that one. Any other idea's?

[Cherikoff]

Maybe it's Ocimum tenuiflorum then.

[Trigger]

No not that either. Will put some pics on when I get a camera. Might be unknown as I cant find it anywhere on the net or in books.

[Trigger]

Well, finally got that camera, and took some pics. This is the first time I have posted pics on a forum, so please forgive me if they are too big or anything.



I have these growing at home now, they seem to transplant easily, and are alot more healthier than in the wild.
The flowers are tiny and wont come out on photo's, but you can sort of get the idea.

[Thomas B]

Looks like it belongs to the Lamiaceae. Maybe a prostranthera.