Plants of the Week

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E.g., 11/09/2024
E.g., 11/09/2024

Syzygium legatii

Syzygium legatii in fruit. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: mountain waterberry, mountain umdoni, white umdoni, water pear (Eng.); bergwaterbessie, waterpeer, waterbos (Afr.); mutawi (Tshivenda); umdoni-wamanzi
Family: Myrtaceae

...

05 / 06 / 2023 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Strumaria phonolithica

Plant in flower
Common names: none known
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Strumaria phonolithica is a rare and interesting autumn- and early winter-flowering bulb endemic to southwestern Namibia. Its ornamental leaf fans and...

21 / 07 / 2014 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syncolostemon obermeyerae

Syncolostemon obermeyerae
Common names: Soutpansberg sagebush, pink sagebush (Eng.); Soutpansbergsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon obermeyerae is a fast growing, much branched shrub which can grow to 1,8m tall....

30 / 04 / 2001 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syncolostemon transvaalensis

Syncolostemon transvaalensis bush in flower
Common names: Mpumalanga sagebush (Eng.), Mpumalangasalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Syncolostemon transvaalensis is decorative, pleasantly aromatic and easy to grow....

05 / 11 / 2001 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scadoxus membranaceus

Scadoxus membranaceus
Common names: dwarf paintbrush, (Eng.); seeroogblom (Afr.); idumbi (Zul.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This beautiful, compact growing, evergreen Scadoxus has spirally arranged leaves and striking red flowerheads that resemble a paint brush, surrounded by...

29 / 10 / 2018 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senecio coronatus

Senecio coronatus
Common names: woolly grassland senecio (Eng.); sybossie (Afr.); lehlomanyane/lehlomane, moremoholo, motabo (Southern Sotho); ikhubalo lesikhova, indlebe yebokwe (is
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio coronatus is one of the most common spring-flowering grassland herbs and is often the first species to flower after a burn. It is easily recognized...

26 / 06 / 2023 | Katlego Molele | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Secale africanum

Secale africanum, African Rye
Common names: African rye, wild rye (Eng.); wilderog, Afrika-rog (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

The African rye is a tufted, weakly perennial grass to about 1 m high, growing in seasonally moist meadows and river banks on the Roggeveld Plateau. It...

03 / 07 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Searsia incisa

Searsia incisa
Common names: rub-rub currant (Eng.); baardbessie (Afr.); unongqutu (isiXhosa)
Family: Anacardiaceae

Rub-rub currant is an attractive shrub, and, as the common name says, it has edible, furry fruits, that need to be rubbed in the hand a couple of times...

22 / 02 / 2021 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Salvia scabra

Salvia scabra
Common names: coast blue sage (Eng.); kuskruipsalie (Afr.); usikiki (isiXhosa)
Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia scabra is a dainty sage which is adorned with mauve flowers between spring and autumn, with its peak flowering in summer. Being water-wise and its...

12 / 09 / 2016 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scilla natalensis

This plant is now called Merwilla plumbea....

| | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senecio deltoideus

Senecio deltoideus has a distinct zigzag branching pattern
Common names: zigzag canary creeper (Eng.); sigsag-kanarieklimop (Afr.); undenze (isiXhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio deltoideus is a vigorous creeper producing spectacular displays of sweet-scented bright yellow flowers in early winter. Flowers produce copious...

21 / 08 / 2023 | Katlego Molele | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Stapelia gigantea

Flowering plant of Stapelia gigantea in habitat. (Photo Cameron McMaster)
Common names: giant stapelia, giant carrion flower, carrion flower (Eng.); reuseaasblom, aasblom, duikershoring, haasoor (Afr.); ililo elikhulu, isihlehle, uzililo
Family: Apocynaceae

Stapelia gigantea has the largest flowers (up to 40 cm across) of any plant in our region and is one of the easiest stapeliads to grow. Plants are widely...

12 / 04 / 2021 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Scabiosa columbaria

Scabiosa columbaria. Photo: Damien Coulson
Common names: wild scabious (Engl.); bitterbos (Afr.),tlhako- ea- pitsi, selomi, mamokhale, moholungoane (South Sotho); isilawu, esikhulu, makgha (isiXhosa); ibheka
Family: Dipsacaceae

This is a lovely wild flower species with faintly scented blooms, appearing throughout the year....

20 / 04 / 2015 | Azwinndini Mudau | Free State NBG
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Sesamum senecioides

Dicerocaryum senecioides
Common names: devil’s thorn, boot protectors, stud plant (Eng.); elandsdoring (Afr.); museto (Tshivenda)
Family: Pedaliaceae

A prostrate perennial, with annual creeping stems and white to pinkish flowers. It takes over open spaces in grassland and it is used as substitute for...

10 / 05 / 2021 | Meshack Nethavhani | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Serruria adscendens

Bush in flower
Common names: Kleinmond spiderhead
Family: Proteaceae

Serruria adscendens is an attractive, rounded shrub of slopes and flats, in the coastal fynbos between Betty's Bay and Bredasdorp in the Western Cape....

17 / 11 / 2014 | Nosiphelele Patricia Mapukata | Harold Porter NBG
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Salvia africana-lutea

Common names: golden sage, beach sage, dune sage, sand sage (Eng.); bruinsalie, sandsalie, strandsalie, geelblomsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-lutea is now called Salvia aurea...

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Harold Porter NBG
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Sesamum trilobum

Sesamum trilobum growing in Kirstenbosch
Common names: wild foxglove, African foxglove, false foxglove (Eng.); vingerhoedblom, wildevingerhoedjie (Afr.); ludvonca, udonqa (SiSwati); udonqa, undoncalwabathw
Family: Pedaliaceae

Flowering during the warm summer and into autumn, this tall elegant annual adds a cool and lush feeling to the garden. In nature they are commonly found...

21 / 09 / 2023 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Salvia africana-caerulea

Common names: blue sage, wild sage, African sage, purple sage (Eng.); blousalie, bloublomsalie, Afrikaansesalie, perdesalie, wildesalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Salvia africana-caerulea is now called Salvia africana....

27 / 02 / 2019 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Staavia radiata

Staavia radiata
Common names: mini diamond eyes (Eng.); altydbos, altydbossie, glasogies (Afr.)
Family: Bruniaceae

A daisy-like fynbos shrub and a favourite in horticulture, with a good reputation, as it responds well to being trimmed and maintained, once propagated....

24 / 05 / 2021 | Siqamo Yeko | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sesamum saxicola

Sesamum saxicola
Common names: rock foxglove (Eng.); rotsvingerhoedblom (Afr.)
Family: Pedaliaceae

With the Soutpansberg in the extreme north eastern Venda and Kruger National Park being its only home, Sesamum saxicola grows in sandstone crevices, overhanging...

25 / 09 / 2023 | Ntsakisi Masia | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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