Agathosma is a genus of about 140 species of flowering plants in the family Rutaceae, native to the southern part of Africa.

They are small shrubs and subshrubs, mostly with erect woody stems reaching 30–100 cm (1' to 3') tall, but low-growing and prostrate in some species.

The flowers are produced in terminal clusters, 0.7–2 cm (¼" to ¾") diameter, with five white, pink, red or purple, petals.

[medical citation needed] Bottled agathosma infusions were widely sold in English-speaking countries as "buchu tea" in the 1860s and 1870s.

There appear to be differences in people's perceptions of the smell, possibly determined genetically, rather than by familiarity or nurture.