About Phaulopsis imbricata (Forssk.) Sweet
Phaulopsis imbricata (Forssk.) Sweet is a shrub native to South Africa. Its leaves grow in opposite pairs, with one leaf larger than the other in each pair, and the leaf bases are usually asymmetrical. This species is a good fodder; its young leaves are eaten as a vegetable, and in Tanganyika, plant ash mixed with oil is rubbed into scarifications on the back to treat rheumatism. The flowers of Phaulopsis imbricata have an unpleasant smell. It is categorized as near-threatened on the IUCN Red List. It also acts as a larval host plant for five butterfly species: the great eggfly, tiny grass blue, brown pansy, soldier pansy, and marbled elf.
