Plants of the Week

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E.g., 10/09/2024
E.g., 10/09/2024

Commiphora

Commiphora species © G. Nichols
Common names: corkwood, commiphora; (Eng.); kanniedood (Afr.)
Family: Burseraceae

The corkwoods are a fascinating group of trees, because of their bizarre appearance, but more importantly for their historical and biblical association...

31 / 01 / 2011 | Beate Hölscher | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cienfuegosia hildebrandtii

Cienfuegosia hildebrandtii
Common names: small cotton bush, wedge-leaf false-hibiscus, small fly-mallow (Eng.)
Family: Malvaceae

Small Cotton Bush has beautiful, bicoloured, hibiscus-like flowers, with bold red to maroon centres on yellow flowers. Unlike the true Cotton, Gossypium...

24 / 05 / 2022 | Swinky Nkosi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Conophytym obcordellum subsp. obcordellum

C.obcordellum subsp obcordellum
Common names: dumpling
Family: Aizoaceae

Minute but spectacular; Conophytum species are amongst the most intriguing of all dwarf succulents and C. obcordellum is perhaps one of the most spectacular...

12 / 11 / 2012 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Conophytum truncatum

Conophytum truncatum
Common names: dumpling
Family: Aizoaceae

Have you ever seen anything like this? For the uninitiated this strange plant must seem extraterrestrial. So it must have appeared also to its discoverers...

31 / 03 / 2003 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Chasmanthe floribunda

Chasmanthe floribunda, flowers close-up.
Common names: cobra lily, chasmanthe (Eng.); kapelpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

...

08 / 02 / 2016 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium
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Conophytum calculus subsp. calculus

In flower in habitat
Common names: cone plants, dumplings, button plants, sphaeroids, conos; knopies (buttons), toontjies (little toes), waterblasies (water blisters) (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

These humorous-looking `pebble plants' are easy to grow in pots and their unusual night-time opening flowers have a delightfully spicy scent....

19 / 05 / 2014 | Sarah-Leigh Hutchinson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cleretum bellidiforme

Cleretum bellidiforme in cultivation (Graham Duncan).
Common names: Buckbay-vygie, Livingstone Bokbayfig, Livingstone Daisy (Eng.); bokbaaivygie, sandvygie, skilpadkos, ysplant (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Cleretum bellidiforme, previously Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, is one of South Africa’s most famous wildflower exports, grown worldwide for its dazzling,...

23 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula badspoortensis

Crassula badspoortense in flower, Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: cliff sosatie-crassula (Eng.), krans-sosatie, krans-inryger (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula badspoortensis is a rare, sparingly branched succulent shrublet becoming a cliff-hanger, with stems up to 400 mm long, greyish-green, disc-like...

09 / 08 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Conophytum ficiforme

Plants in flower
Common names: button plants (Eng.); knopies (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Conophytums, these peculiar gems with their highly reduced leaves and exposed surfaces, and with flowers resembling miniature shaving brushes, have fascinated...

28 / 01 / 2013 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Crassula brachystachya

Crassula brachystachya in flower in habitat
Common names: cliff-crassula (Eng.), kransrosie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula brachystachya is a rare, cluster-forming, cliff-hugging succulent to 70 mm high, with leaves in a rosette and an ascending, spike-like inflorescence...

12 / 08 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Conophytum wettsteinii

Flowering in autumn
Common names: cone plant, dumplings, button plants (Eng.); knopies (buttons), toontjies (little toes), waterblasies (water blisters), ogies (small eyes) (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Conophytum wettsteinii are highly collectable, easy to grow, dwarf-cushioned succulents that produce attractive pink flowers in autumn....

19 / 05 / 2014 | A Jakoet | Compton Herbarium
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Cordia caffra

Cordia fruits
Common names: septee saucer-berry (Eng.); septeeboom (Afr.); mududa (V)
Family: Boraginaceae

Why this breathtaking tree is so rarely used in the horticultural and landscape trade is a mystery. It possesses almost all the qualities of the ideal...

20 / 10 / 2003 | Nick Klapwijk | Pretoria NBG
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Cordyla africana

Flowers
Common names: sunbird tree (Eng.); wildemango (Afr.); iGowane-elikhulu, umbhone (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Did you know that Africa has its own mango? Although the fruit is not as big and tasty as the exotic one and it belongs to a different family, it is extremely...

26 / 06 / 2006 | Jean Meyer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cotula sericea

Cotula sericea
Common names: silky cotula, buttons (Eng.); knoppies (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

...

12 / 04 / 2010 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula pellucida

Crassula pellucida subsp. pellucida
Common names: trailing crassula (Eng.); rankplakkie (Afr.); inyamayamakhwenkwe (isiXhosa)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula pellucida is a beautiful, low-growing, creeping and spreading, perennial succulent plant with starry flowers and decorative leaves, that makes...

13 / 06 / 2022 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Cotyledon barbeyi

Cotyledon barbeyi
Common names: bushveld cotyledon (Eng.); plakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

This is an easy to grow succulent plant with attractive shiny red flowers....

16 / 07 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Chironia laxa

Chronia laxa
Common names: Cape centaury, wild centaury (Eng.); bitterwortel (Afr.)
Family: Gentianaceae

This is a delightful plant, with shiny, bright pink, star-shaped flowers that are produced in abundance throughout the summer months, ideal for a sunny...

07 / 03 / 2016 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cotyledon orbiculata

Cotyledon orbiculata
Common names: pig's ears, cotyledon (Eng.); plakkie, platjies, varkoorblare, varkoor, kouterie (Afr.); imphewula (isiXhosa); ipewula (isiZulu)
Family: Crassulaceae

This fast-growing succulent is well known to gardeners, forms a low shrub and adds colour to the winter garden. Forms with handsome grey leaves provide...

15 / 03 / 2004 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG
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Cissampelos capensis

Cissampelos capensis
Common names: Cape moonseed vine (Eng.); dawidjies, davidjes, dawidjieswortel, dawedjieswortel, fynblaarklimop (Afr.); umayisake (isiXhosa)
Family: Menispermaceae

Cissampelos capensis is a tough, slow-growing, sprawling or climbing shrublet with beautiful bluish-green foliage, and is a well-known medicinal plant...

20 / 06 / 2022 | Laura Dineo Selepe | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cotyledon pendens

Cotyledon pendens
Common names: cliff cotyledon (Eng.); kransplakkie, kransklokkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Cotyledon pendens is a rare succulent shrublet with hanging branches and flowers, only known from sheer cliff faces along the Mbashe River in the...

17 / 08 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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