Plants of the Week

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E.g., 19/09/2024
E.g., 19/09/2024

Sansevieria pearsonii

Sansevieria pearsonii
Common names: spiky mother-in-law’s-tongue, gemsbok horns, elephant’s toothpick (Eng.); bobbejaan-se-dood, gemsbokhoring (Afr.)
Family: Ruscaceae

Sansevieria pearsonii is a colony-forming, perennial succulent, with an upright fan of cylindrical leaves that end in a hard, sharp point. Easy to grow,...

03 / 10 / 2022 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Strychnos decussata

Strychnos decussata growing in Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: Cape teak (Eng.); Kaapse kiaat (Afr.); umhlamahlala, umkhangele (Xhosa); umkhombazulu, umlahlankosi, umphatha-wenkosi (Zulu)
Family: Loganiaceae

Strychnos decussata is a handsome tree for the garden with an attractive shape....

01 / 12 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Streptocarpus confusus

Streptocarpus confusus (Cherise Viljoen)
Common names: Cape primrose (Eng.)
Family: Gesneriaceae

A unique species of the genus Streptocarpus, exhibiting two special subspecies of unifoliate and monocarpic characteristics, boasting a large leaf with...

12 / 03 / 2018 | Renira Boodhraj | CREW
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Strychnos madagascariensis

Strychnos madagascariensis tree
Common names: black monkey orange (Eng.); swartklapper, botterklapper (Afr.); Morapa (N Sotho); Nkwaka (Tsonga); Mogorwagorwana (Tswana); Mukwakwa (Venda); umGluguz
Family: Loganiaceae

Very often confused with Strychnos spinosa, S. madagascariensis is a single- or multi-stemmed tree with a spreading, irregular, angular canopy. It grows...

08 / 12 / 2008 | Marcini Govender | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Strychnos spinosa

Strychnos spinosa
Common names: spiny monkey orange/green monkey orange (Eng) doringklapper (Afr) morapa (NS) umKwakwa (Sw) nsala (Ts) muramba (V)
Family: Loganiaceae

This small to medium sized tree with its dark green glossy leaves and bright yellow fruit will make an attractive addition to your garden....

24 / 01 / 2005 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Syncarpha argyropsis

Syncarpha argyropsis flowers
Common names: white everlasting (Eng.); witsewejaartjie, beesoogsewejaartjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Syncarpha argyropsis is a very attractive plant that grows well at Kirstenbosch and is a very promising horticultural plant for commercial use....

19 / 10 / 2009 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syncarpha recurvata

Fresh everlasting flowerhead.  Image G.A. Verboom
Common names: None recorded.
Family: Asteraceae

Syncarpha recurvata is a small, shrubby daisy with pretty pink flowerheads and attractive silvery foliage. This low shrub is endemic to a small area...

18 / 02 / 2013 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium
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Sesamum sp. aff. reniforme

Flowers with seed capsule forming © P Winter
Common names: Limpopo foxglove
Family: Pedaliaceae

One of several previously undocumented species in the dry savanna of Limpopo Province, the Limpopo foxglove yearns for the bit of limelight it surely deserves....

19 / 09 / 2005 | Pieter Winter | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Syncarpha vestita

In flower Photo Colin Paterson- Jones
Common names: cape snow, white everlasting (Eng.); witsewejaartjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

At the height of its flowering, this relatively short-lived, woolly shrublet forms masses of beautiful white flowerheads that shine in the bright light...

21 / 10 / 2013 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium
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Syncarpha eximia

In bud Syncarpha eximia flowerheads are reminiscent of a bowl of strawberries
Common names: strawberry everlasting (Eng.); rooisewejaartjie, sewejaartjie, strooiblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This beautiful plant has prominent, showy, red and orange flower heads that in bud are reminiscent of a bowl of strawberries, borne above erect stems covered...

11 / 02 / 2008 | Waafeka Vardien | Compton Herbarium
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Syncolostemon latidens

Panicle of flowers
Common names: broad-tooth sagebush, broad-toothed pink plume
Family: Lamiaceae

The subtle beauty of the little known mauve-pink plume bush, Syncolostemon latidens, has won the hearts of those who have seen this small perennial shrub...

10 / 01 / 2005 | S Khanyile | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Syncolostemon rotundifolius

Flower spike
Common names: rounded-leaf sagebush, round-leaved pink plume
Family: Lamiaceae

Even if a little difficult in cultivation, this little known member of the sage family, once established, will enhance the garden with its masses of pretty...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Karen Moodley | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Syncolostemon teucriifolius

 Syncolostemon teucriifolius in flower
Common names: teucrium-leaved sagebush
Family: Lamiaceae

...

02 / 06 / 2008 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syzygium pondoense

Flowers of Syzygium pondoense
Common names: Pondo Waterwood, Pondowaterhout (A) umdoni wehlathi (Z)
Family: Myrtaceae

This attractive small tree is rare in nature. But it has great horticultural potential, despite its tongue twister of a name which is pronounced sigh-zig-ee-um...

13 / 05 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Syzygium cordatum

Syzygium cordatum
Common names: water berry (Eng.); waterbessie, waterbessieboom, waterboom, waterhout (Afr.); umdoni (Zulu); umswi, umjomi (Xhosa), mawthoo (Southern Sotho), motlho
Family: Myrtaceae

...

13 / 09 / 2004 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Syzygium guineense

Stem of Syzygium guineense
Common names: woodland waterberry, waterpear (Eng.); waterpeer (Afr.); umdoni (isiNdebele)
Family: Myrtaceae

This is a lovely medium-sized to large evergreen tree with a smooth greyish-white single stem on young trees and beautiful purplish-red young leaves. This...

02 / 09 / 2013 | Kuphumla Zenze | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Setaria verticillata

Setaria verticillata
Common names: bristly foxtail grass, bur bristlegrass, cat’s tails, klits setaria, love grass (Eng.); kat(te)stert(gras), klawergras, kleefgras, klitsgras, steekg
Family: Poaceae

Setaria verticillata is a species of grass known by the common name, bur bristlegrass. It is easily distinguished from other Setaria species by retrorsely...

14 / 05 / 2018 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Schistostephium rotundifolium

Schistostephium rotundifolium
Common names: round-leaf flat-flower (Eng.); imadliwazimbuzi (Zul.)
Family: Asteraceae

A bushy shrub with decorative foliage and attractive yellow flowerheads in autumn to winter, suitable for sun or semi-shade....

21 / 05 / 2018 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Staberoha cernua

Staberoha cernua, female plant. (Photo Felix Riegel)
Common names: droopy tasselreed
Family: Restionaceae

An attractive, small, tufted restio, with brown-tan seed heads that is ideal for fynbos gardens. ...

03 / 08 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Schotia capitata

Schotia capitata
Common names: dwarf boer-bean, forest tree-fuschia, wild-fuschia, Transvaal boer-bean (Eng.); kleinboerboon, transvaalboerboon (Afr.); isincasha, uvovovo (Zulu).
Family: Fabaceae

A dwarf relative of the weeping boer-bean, with a short, bushy form and numerous scarlet flowers in dense heads in spring and early summer, common in eastern...

31 / 08 / 2020 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
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