Plants of the Week

Impatiens hochstetteri subsp. hochstetteri

Common names: wild balsam, common wild forest impatiens (Eng.); kruidjie-roer-my-nie (Afr.); ihlula, umadolwane (Zul.).

Family: Balsaminaceae

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02 / 04 / 2018 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Indigofera lyalli

Common names: Red Indigo, Venda Indigo (Eng.); Rooiverfbos, Venda-verfbos (Afr.); Umhlonishwa (isiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

An attractive, delicate-looking, slender tree with velvety leaves and wine-red flowers usually found growing in clusters in nature....

07 / 07 / 2014 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Indigofera frutescens

This plant has rose to purple flowers in lax racemes and bluish green leaves. It forms a stout, leafy shrub up to 2 m tall. It comes...

19 / 02 / 2001 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Indigofera jucunda

Common names: river indigo, showy indigo (Eng.), rivierverfbos, pronkverfbos (Afr.), umsipane (Xhosa), umnukambiba, isiphungo (Zulu)

Family: Fabaceae

This beautiful plant has had the misfortune of being known by an incorrect name for many years, resulting in some confusion about its identity. But whether...

19 / 02 / 2001 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Isolepis

Common names: Sedges (Eng); madzhesi (Tshivenda)

Family: Cyperaceae

The genus Isolepis R.Br. comprises about 76 species. Members in the genus Isolepis mostly occur in the temperate regions of the southern...

15 / 09 / 2014 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Ipomoea oblongata

Common names: wild morning glory, Boqo morning glory (Eng); krismisblom (Afr); ubhoqo (isiZulu); mothokgo (Sesotho)

Family: Convolvulaceae

An exquisite creeper belonging to the morning glory family, with long stems stretched out flat on the ground, and bright, dark mauve, eye-catching flowers...

27 / 03 / 2023 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Indigofera circinnata

Common names: coiled-pod indigofera (Eng.); krulboontjie, steekboontjie (Afr.); mutahala (Tshivenda)

Family: Fabaceae

A spiny, rigid shrub with white and pink flowers and distinctive circular pods, that is used in traditional medicine in South Africa. The genus Indigofera...

22 / 05 / 2023 | Tambudzani Caroline Machaba | Thohoyandou NBG

Ixia vinacea

Common names: purple Tulbagh ixia (Eng.); tulbagh-perskalossie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Ixia vinacea is a beautiful, critically endangered, winter-growing geophyte from the Western Cape....

08 / 03 / 2021 | Aarifah Jakoet | Compton Herbarium

Indigofera flabellata

Common names: fan-leaf indigofera

Family: Fabaceae

The Fynbos Biome is the home of the characteristic dwarf shrub, Indigofera flabellata, with irregular branches and beautiful rose-purple flowers that attract...

03 / 10 / 2016 | Tandiwe Nkonki | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ipomoea oenotheroides

Common names: Christmas flower (Eng.); krismisblom (Afr.)

Family: Convolvulaceae

An eye-catching, drought-resistant shrublet with bright pink ‘morning glory’ flowers in summer and silvery stems sprouting from inedible tuberous...

11 / 02 / 2019 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Ipomoea cairica var. cairica

Common names: coast morning glory, five-fingered morning glory, Cairo morning glory, Messina creeper, mile-a-minute, (Eng.); ihlambe, ijalamu, intana, umaholwana (i

Family: Convolvulaceae

The coast morning glory, with its big, purple, trumpet-shaped flowers with a dark eye in the centre, makes it close to impossible to pass it by, and it...

25 / 02 / 2019 | Sibahle Gumede | Kwelera NBG

Ipomoea pes-caprae subsp. brasiliensis

Common names: beach morning glory, goat’s foot (Eng.); strandpatat (Afr.)

Family: Convolvulaceae

Beach morning glory is a perennial, trailing vine that forms dense mats on beaches and sand dunes. Its bright green, glossy leaves and showy pink flowers,...

06 / 03 / 2017 | Lerato Hoveka | National Herbarium Pretoria

Indigofera denudata

Common names: denuded indigo (Eng.)

Family: Fabaceae

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05 / 02 / 2024 | Samkelisiwe Mathonsi | Compton Herbarium

Indigofera langebergensis

Common names: Langeberg indigo (Eng.); Langebergseverfbos (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

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15 / 05 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ilex mitis

Common names: African holly, Cape holly, wild holly, water tree (Eng.); waterboom, waterhout, without (Afr.); monamane (Northern Sotho); iPhuphuma (Zulu), umDuma (X

Family: Aquifoliaceae

The African Holly has attractive bark and berries. It grows throughout the country, making it suitable for colder, frosty gardens too....

19 / 07 / 2004 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG

Impatiens flanaganiae

Common names: Mrs Flanagan's impatiens

Family: Balsaminaceae

Impatiens flanaganiae is a little known member of the popular busy lizzy family and has a lot of potential as a potplant or for growing near a shady water...

16 / 10 / 2006 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Indigofera natalensis

Common names: forest indigo (Eng.); bos-verfbos (Afr.); umsitshane (IsiXhosa); insiphane encane (IsiZulu)

Family: Fabaceae

Indigofera natalensis is a delicate and attractive shade-loving tree with dainty white sprays of flowers in summer, followed by slender, reddish brown...

24 / 04 / 2006 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Indigofera nigromontana

Common names: indigo (Eng.); doringertjie (Afr.); sefea-maeba, mpepa (South Sotho) (Synonyms: Indigofera spinescens E.Mey.; Indigofera dealbata Harv.; Indigofera he

Family: Fabaceae

Indigofera nigromontana is an indigenous shrub with wonderful horticultural potential, suited to any garden with a continental climate. Its foliage brings...

09 / 07 / 2012 | L Kessler | Free State NBG