Plants of the Week

Mentha longifolia

Common names: wild mint (Eng.); kruisement, balderjan (Afr.); Koena-ya-thaba (Southern Sotho?); inixina, inzinziniba (Xhosa); ufuthana lomhlanga (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

With its strong mint smell and taste, this herb has found its way into homes for centuries where it has been used in the kitchen and as a medicine. There...

26 / 01 / 2004 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Merciera

Family: Campanulaceae

Merciera, with its white or purple tubular flowers, is a little-known member of the Campanulaceae, endemic to the Cape Floristic Region....

12 / 12 / 2005 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium

Merxmuellera macowanii

Common names: molalashlolo, moseha (South Sotho)

Family: Poaceae

M. macowanii is a wiry grass, forming large, lax tussocks and flowering in summer. Grasses are the most important plant family in the world,...

25 / 04 / 2005 | Thabiso Mpongo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Mesembryanthemaceae

Common names: mesembs, fig marigold, midday flower, ice plant (Eng.); vygie (Afr.)

Family: Mesembryanthemaceae

The Mesembryanthemaceae form a major and unique component of southern Africa's arid land flora. Succulent leaves, bright shiny-petalled flowers and...

29 / 03 / 2004 | Pascale Chesselet | Kirstenbosch NBG

Metalasia muricata

Common names: coast metalasia, white bristle bush (Eng.); blombos, witsteekbossie, steekbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This is a widespread, tough shrub with honey-scented flowers whose garden potential is often overlooked....

13 / 12 / 2004 | Phakamani Xaba | Harold Porter NBG

Metarungia galpinii

Common names: southern orange-lips

Family: Acanthaceae

Metarungia galpinii is a very rare and attractive garden plant that occurs mainly in the East London area in the Eastern Cape....

17 / 03 / 2014 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW

Metarungia longistrobus

Common names: sunbird bush (Eng.); sonbekkiebos (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Metarungia longistrobus is an unusual, attractive evergreen shrub for the shade garden, with long orange-brown flowers in candle-shaped inflorescences...

25 / 02 / 2013 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Microsorum

Common names: wart ferns

Family: Polypodiaceae

Three species of wart fern occur in South Africa and they all have potential as garden plants for shady, warm areas....

24 / 01 / 2005 | K Roux | Compton Herbarium

Millettia grandis

Common names: umzimbeet (Eng.); umsambeet (Afr.); umSimbithwa (Zulu) umKunye (Xhosa)

Family: Fabaceae

This is an attractive shade tree which can also be grown as a specimen tree to display its grey bark, coppery red young leaves and flower buds, lilac to...

30 / 08 / 2004 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG

Millettia stuhlmanni

Common names: panga panga, partridge wood (Eng.); panga-panga, patryshout (Afr.); muangaila (Venda); mpangapanga (Swahili)

Family: Fabaceae

Millettia stuhlmannii is a well known timber tree internationally exported for woodwork. Only one subpopulation of this species exists in South Africa...

13 / 06 / 2011 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Mimetes chrysanthus

Common names: golden pagoda, golden mimetes, gouestompie

Family: Proteaceae

The genus Mimetes is one of the most beautiful of the protea family and indeed in the whole of the Cape Floral Kingdom. ...

29 / 04 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Mimetes fimbriifolius

Common names: tree pagoda, cowl pagoda, fringed pagoda (Eng.); kreupelboom, maanhaarstompie (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Mimetes fimbriifolius is a beautiful rounded tree that was once common on Table Mountain, but its numbers have been greatly depleted by harvesting...

16 / 08 / 2010 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Mimetes hottentoticus

Common names: silver pagoda, Hottentotstompie (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

This is a beautiful shrub with silvery leaves and distinctive flowers. Mimetes can be easily distinguished from all other Proteaceae. The beauty...

16 / 12 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Metalasia aurea

Common names: golden metalasia, yellow metalasia (Eng.); geelsteekbossie, geelblombos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Metalasia aurea has the most unusual flower colour for Metalasia, and may be seen when travelling along the N2 freeway from Humansdorp to Port Elizabeth....

23 / 03 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Mimetes hirtus

Common names: marsh pagoda, red and yellow bottlebrush, tall pagoda, hairy mimetes, pineapple bush ( Eng. ); kreupelboom, vleistompie, rooistompie, pynappelstompie

Family: Proteaceae

Sima Eliovson, author of Proteas for pleasure, referred to Mimetes hirtus as 'the most magnificent species of Mimetes, the...

13 / 03 / 2006 | Von Witt C | CREW

Mimusops caffra

Common names: coast red milkwood (Eng.); kusrooimelkboom, moepel (Afr.); umhayihayi amasethole-abomvu, umthunzi, umnweba waselwandle, umnole, umagayi, umkhakhayi (Z

Family: Sapotaceae

Gardeners looking for a tree suitable for coastal gardens with windy conditions should not look any further-this tree is a good choice, particularly for...

28 / 08 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Mimetes capitulatus

Common names: conical pagoda (Eng.); skraalstompie (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

This striking plant is a lesser-known gem, whose brightly coloured, red and orange flowerheads, appear in spring time, attracting the sunbirds. Populations...

12 / 09 / 2016 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG

Mimusops obovata

Common names: red milkwood (Eng.); rooimelkhout (Afr.); amaSethole-ehlathi, umNolwe, umPhumbulu, (isiZulu); umTunzi wehlathi (isiXhosa)

Family: Sapotaceae

Mimusops obovata is an evergreen tree with sweetly scented whitish yellow flowers to which bumblebees are attracted. Flowers are follwed by edible...

02 / 12 / 2013 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Mimusops zeyheri

Common names: Transvaal red milkwood (Eng.); moepel (Afr.); mmupudu (Northern Sotho); umpushane (Zulu); nhlantswa (Tsonga); mubululu (Venda)

Family: Sapotaceae

The Transvaal red milkwood has gained its popularity with people, birds as well as monkeys and baboons through its tasty fruit which are sweet and high...

06 / 06 / 2005 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Miraglossum davyi

Common names: No known common names.

Family: Apocynaceae

Miraglossum davyi is indeed an astonishing plant when viewed close-up. The remarkable structure of the corona lobes of this rarely seen plant has...

05 / 08 / 2013 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

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