Plants of the Week

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E.g., 20/03/2023
E.g., 20/03/2023

Callilepis laureola

Flower: Photo: von Fintel
Common names: Ox-eye Daisy (eng.); Wildemargriet (Afr.); mila (Sw); amafuthomhlaba, ihlamvu, impila (Z)
Family: Asteraceae

This is a spring flower of the grasslands with the unusual combination of dark disc, white rays and bright green foliage, making it an attractive garden...

24 / 03 / 2008 | Desiree Marimuthoo | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Calobota cytisoides

Calobota cytisoides inflorescence
Common names: bush ganna (Eng.), ganna, geelertjiebos, kristinabos (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Calobota cytisoides is an attractive, yellow-flowered shrub which is widespread in the Western Cape Province of South Africa....

14 / 06 / 2010 | S Boatwright | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Calodendrum capense

Calodendrum capense
Common names: Cape chestnut, wild chestnut (Eng.); wildekastaiing, Kaapsekastaiing (Afr.); umbaba, umsitshana (Xhosa); umbhaba, umemezi omhlophe (Zulu), molalakgwed
Family: Rutaceae

Calodendrum capense, a beautiful tree from the Cape, the name says it all: kalos means beautiful, and dendron  is Greek for tree, capense is...

17 / 12 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Calpurnia aurea

Flowers
Common names: common calpurnia, calpurnia, wild laburnum, Natal laburnum, Cape laburnum (E); geelkeurboom, geelkeur, Natalse geelkeur (A); inDloli, umSitshana (X);
Family: Fabaceae

With decorative foliage, showy yellow flowers and a graceful habit, Calpurnia aurea is an asset in any garden....

09 / 05 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Campanulaceae

Roella ciliata
Common names: bell flower, bluebell family (Eng.); klokkiesfamilie (Afr.)
Family: Campanulaceae

This is a cosmopolitan family with showy flowers, mainly from the northern hemisphere, but in the southern hemisphere South Africa is particularly rich...

27 / 09 / 2004 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
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Curio pondoensis

Curio pondoensis
Common names: Pondo cliff daisy (Eng.); Pondo krans-aster (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

The Pondo cliff daisy is a cliff-hanger, leaf and stem succulent, endemic to the river valleys of northern Pondoland, in the Eastern Cape. The attractive,...

24 / 08 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cannabis sativa

Young Cannabis plant
Common names: marijuana (Eng.); dagga (Afr.); Umya (Xhosa); Matekwane/Patse (Northern Sotho); Nsangu (Zulu)
Family: Cannabaceae

Current legislation prohibits the cultivation, possession and trade in cannabis in South Africa. This page is being posted for information purposes only...

09 / 08 / 2004 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cannomois virgata

Male inflorescence
Common names: bell reed, rekoala (Eng.); bergbamboes, besemriet,olifantsriet, perdehoef, assegaai (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

Cannomois virgata is a fast-growing reed-like plant and is the only member of the genus to be found on the Cape Peninsula....

26 / 07 / 2004 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Canthium inerme

Leaves and fruits
Common names: turkey-berry; common turkey-berry; criss-cross turkey-berry; Cape date (Eng.); gewone bokdrol; doringels (Afr.); umvuthwamini (Xhosa, Zulu); umnyushul
Family: Rubiaceae

The ecological and cultural aspects of this tree, its lovely aesthetic qualities and its relatively widespread distribution in southern Africa, make this...

12 / 07 / 2004 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyclopia pubescens

Cyclopia pubescens
Common names: Algoa honeybush, fluffy honeybush (Eng.); Algoa-heuningtee, donsigheuningtee (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Cyclopia pubescens is a very attractive, yet highly threatened species, endemic to the extreme east of the Fynbos Biome. Its club-like clusters of vibrant...

20 / 09 / 2021 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Canthium ciliatum

Canthium ciliatum flowers & leaves © G. Nichols
Common names: hairy turkey berry (Eng.); harige bokdrol (Afr.); mulume-khoda (Venda); umnyushulumbe, umdakane, ubuchopho (Xhosa, Zulu), mvutfwamini (Swati).
Family: Rubiaceae

Canthium ciliatum is a hardy shrub or small tree found on forest margins and rock outcrops in the eastern regions of South Africa, and in Swaziland and...

24 / 01 / 2011 | Beate Hölscher | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Carissa bispinosa

Carissa bispinosa. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: forest num-num (Eng.); bosnoemnoem (Afr.); isibethankunzi, isabetha (Zul.)
Family: Apocynaceae

The genus Carissa consists of evergreen shrubs and trees, with handsome, glossy foliage and fragrant, starry-white, jasmine-like flowers. Ornamental and...

15 / 03 / 2004 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Carissa macrocarpa

Carissa macrocarpa
Common names: Natal plum, big num-num (Eng.); grootnoem-noem (Afr.); Amatungulu (Zulu)
Family: Apocynaceae

The Natal plum is a common and often conspicuous species in coastal bush and sand dunes....

29 / 03 / 2004 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Carissa edulis

Carissa edulis
Common names: simple-spined num-num, climbing num-num, small num-num, (Eng.); enkeldoringnoemnoem, ranknoemnoem, kleinnoemnoem (Afr.); mothokolo (North Sotho); mur
Family: Apocynaceae

A fast-growing, thorny, scrambling shrub with glossy foliage, masses of fragrant white flowers in spring and small, oval red edible fruits in summer....

25 / 06 / 2012 | R Malatjie | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Carpobrotus dimidiatus

In flower
Common names: Natal sour fig (Eng.), Natalse suurvy/strandvy (Afr.), Ikhambi lamabulawo (Zulu)
Family: Aizoaceae

...

11 / 06 / 2007 | Siyabulela Nonjinge | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Chaenostoma hispidum

Chaenostoma hispidum
Common names: bristly skunkbush (Eng.); stinkbossie (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

A small, aromatic, perennial shrublet with attractive white, pink to mauve star-shaped flowers in summer, good for garden borders....

03 / 04 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Carpobrotus edulis

Fresh and old pinkish flower
Common names: sour fig, Cape fig, Hottentots fig (Eng.); ghaukum, ghoenavy, Hottentotsvy, Kaapsevy, perdevy, rankvy, suurvy, vyerank, (Afr.); ikhambi-lamabulawo, um
Family: Aizoaceae

Carpobrotus edulis is an easy-to-grow succulent groundcover, ideal for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens. It is also a useful first-aid plant...

23 / 01 / 2006 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Carpobrotus quadrifidus

Bright flowers
Common names: West Coast sour fig, eland sour fig (Eng.); Weskus suurvy, elandsvy (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Carpobrotus quadrifidus, formerly named C. sauerae, stands out in the varied conglomeration of mesembs as the one species with the largest flowers....

17 / 02 / 2014 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cephalaria pungens

Cephalaria pungens
Common names: none kown
Family: Dipsacaceae

Attractive cream, white or pale yellow flower heads, with protruding greyish anthers, attracts you from afar, especially when growing gregariously and...

10 / 04 / 2017 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana

Flowers
Common names: long-tail cassia, sjambok pod, wild senna (Eng.); sjambokpeul, peulboom, peulbos, boontjieboom (Afr.), molepelepe, monêpênêpê (Tw), muboma, mulamb
Family: Fabaceae

The long-tail cassia is ideal for small to medium-sized gardens where it will attract attention with both its beautiful deep yellow, sweetly scented flowers...

03 / 03 / 2008 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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