Anginon rugosum, known locally as the groovy finkel, is a hardy woody shrub native to the rocky coastal slopes and limestone hills of South Africa. Instead of the soft, feathery foliage typical of its herbaceous relatives, it carries stiff, needle-like leaves and flat-topped clusters of bright yellow flowers, while its specific epithet rugosum means 'wrinkled' and points directly to the textured surface of its mature fruits.
Belonging to the carrot and parsley family, Apiaceae, this species was first described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Peter Thunberg as Conium rugosum before Constantine Samuel Rafinesque transferred it to the genus Anginon in 1838.
Unusual among members of the Apiaceae family, Anginon rugosum grows as a rigid, upright woody shrub reaching up to two meters in height, supported by tough, branching stems with smooth, grayish bark.
Late summer to autumn in the Southern Hemisphere (February to April)
While most members of the carrot family are soft annuals or herbaceous perennials that die back to the ground, Anginon rugosum has engineered a woody, drought-resistant architecture tailored to the harsh summer heat of the South African Cape.
Taxon Synonyms: Anginon uitenhagense, Conium rugosum, Trinia uitenhagensis, Trinia uitenhagense, Rhyticarpus rugosus
Picrasma
A genus of deciduous trees and shrubs known for their extremely bitter bark and medicinal …
Araucaria humboldtensis
A small, critically endangered coniferous tree native strictly to the high-altitude mountain peaks of southern …
Araucaria sect. Araucaria
Araucaria sect. Araucaria is a botanical section of evergreen conifers native to South America. It …
Araucaria
Araucaria is a genus of majestic, evergreen coniferous trees native to the Southern Hemisphere. Known …