Plants of the Week

Bowkeria verticillata

Common names: Southern Shell-flower, Natal Shell-flower Bush (Eng.); Suidelike Skulpblombos, Natalse Skulpblombos (Afr.); umBaba, isiPhambathi (Zulu); isiDuli, iGqa

Family: Stilbaceae

A decorative shrub that can be used to landscape your garden, with softy quilted leaves and pure white, scented flowers....

27 / 12 / 2009 | Lufuno Konanani | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Bulbine thomasiae

Common names: Mbashe bulbine (Eng.); mbashekopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine thomasiae is an obligatory cliff-hugger, with rosettes of dull green, soft, succulent leaves that grow from the shale cliff faces along the Mbashe...

26 / 04 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Brabejum stellatifolium

Common names: bitteramandel, wild almond, wilde-amandel, ghoeboontjie, ghoekoffie

Family: Proteaceae

This tree is famous in South Africa for being used to make Van Riebeeck's Hedge, the first formal boundary marker between the new Cape colony and the...

08 / 09 / 2003 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Brachiaria serrata

Common names: red top grass, velvet signal (Eng.) ; rooisinjaalgras (Afr.)

Family: Poaceae

Brachiaria serrata is a perennial grass with bright green leaves and red or purplish-red spikelets covered in silky hairs....

12 / 05 / 2008 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Brachylaena transvaalensis

Common names: forest silver-oak (Eng.); bosvaalbos, vaalboom (Afr.); umPhahla, iPhahla (Sw, Z); mphahla (NS); mufhata (V)

Family: Asteraceae

This medium to large tree with its dark green glossy leaves produces dense clusters of whitish flowers from July to September....

09 / 04 / 2012 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG

Brachylaena discolor

Common names: Coast silver oak (E), Kusvaalbos (Afr.), Phahla (isiZulu), Mphahla (N.Sotho), umPhahla (isiXhosa)

Family: Asteraceae

...

06 / 01 / 2003 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Brachystelma barberae

Common names: platvoetaasblom (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Brachystelma barberae is without doubt the most spectacular species in the genus. It is probably the best known cultivated caudiciform asclepiad. If the...

08 / 09 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Brachystelma modestum

Common names: none known

Family: Apocynaceae

The name modestum appears well deserved by this diminutive species of Brachystelma since the flowers are so astonishingly attractive, while the plant...

22 / 10 / 2007 | Suvarna Parbhoo | TSP

Brackenridgea zanguebarica

Common names: yellow peeling plane (Eng.); geellekkerbreek (Afr.); mutavhatsindi (Ven.)

Family: Ochnaceae

...

25 / 04 / 2011 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Bulbine latifolia var. curvata

Common names: curved-leaf bulbine (Eng.); kromblaarkopieva (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine latifolia var. curvata has a solitary rosette of firm, linear-lanceolate, succulent leaves, distinctly curving downwards. It is a cliff-squatting...

24 / 05 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bridelia micrantha

Common names: mitseeri, bruin stinkhout (Afr.); motsere (Sotho); ndzerhe (Tswana)

Family: Phyllanthaceae

Beautiful, fast growing shade tree, usually with scattered bright red leaves....

18 / 01 / 2010 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG

Bruguiera gymnorrhiza

Common names: black mangrove (Eng.); swartwortelboom (Afr.); isiKhangazi, isi Hlobane (isiZulu); isiKhangathi (isiXhosa); m'tumansi, setaca (Mozambique, language un

Family: Rhizophoraceae

...

24 / 10 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Berzelia albiflora

Common names: coffee-scented berzelia, coffee bush, white-flowered brunia (Eng.); knopbossie, fonteinbossie, stompies (Afr.)

Family: Bruniaceae

Whenever this beautiful shrub is placed on our specimen table, it is often greeted with surprise as if it has never been seen before. It is easy to overlook,...

26 / 04 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Brunia noduliflora

Common names: common brunia (Eng.); knopbos, knoppies, fonteinbos, stompies, volstruisies (Afr.)

Family: Bruniaceae

Brunia noduliflora is an unusual fynbos shrub and a Cape endemic; it has clusters of fluffy white pompon-like flower heads in winter and knobby fruits...

01 / 03 / 2010 | Zoleka Maphanga | Kirstenbosch NBG

Berzelia stokoei

Common names: red kolkol (Eng.); rooistompie (Afr.)

Family: Bruniaceae

The striking red flowers of Berzelia stokoei are a sight to behold when walking in the tranquil mountains of the Overberg region. This plant was previously...

06 / 08 / 2007 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG

Brunsvigia

Common names: candelabra flower (Eng.); kandelaarblom, Maartblom (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

The sheer exuberance of brunsvigias flowering en masse is a natural spectacle that should not be missed....

18 / 04 / 2005 | D Snijman | Kirstenbosch NBG

Brunsvigia bosmaniae

Common names: candelabra lily (Eng.); Maartblom, kandelaar (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Brunsvigia bosmaniae produces a dazzling floral display during autumn when little else is flowering in the veld. More or less 21 days after a late summer...

27 / 04 / 2009 | Colleen Rust | Hantam NBG

Brunsvigia natalensis

Common names: Natal candelabra flower (Eng.); kandelaarblom (Afr.); umbhola (Zul.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking bulbous plant, endemic to southern Africa, with large umbels bearing 30 to 60, attractive, red or pale pink flowers....

14 / 06 / 2021 | Mulweli Maswoliedza | Compton Herbarium

Brunsvigia josephinae

Common names: candelabra lily (Eng.); kandelaarblom, lantanter (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

This plant has by far the biggest bulb and inflorescence among the geophytes in South Africa. Its large striking umbels are easily visible in the veld...

09 / 08 / 2004 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Becium obovatum

See Ocimum obovatum...

04 / 07 / 2005 | | Karoo Desert NBG

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