Melianthus major
Encyclopedia
Melianthus major is an evergreen suckering shrub, endemic to South Africa
and naturalised in India
, Australia
and New Zealand
. It grows to between 2 to 3 metres tall and has large, divided, blue-green leaves which have an unpleasant odour. Long, dark-red flower spikes appear in spring, followed by green pods. All parts of the plants are poisonous.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and naturalised in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. It grows to between 2 to 3 metres tall and has large, divided, blue-green leaves which have an unpleasant odour. Long, dark-red flower spikes appear in spring, followed by green pods. All parts of the plants are poisonous.