Plants of the Week

Dietes butcheriana

Common names: forest wild iris, forest iris, broad-leaved dietes (Eng.); bosiris (Afr.); isiyunga, iconya (isiXhosa)

Family: Iridaceae

Dietes butcheriana is an indigenous, shade-loving, evergreen irid with broad leaves arranged in a fan, and large, white flowers with apricot markings,...

28 / 01 / 2019 | Sanele Nkosi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dietes bicolor

Common names: yellow wild iris, peacock flower (Eng.); uintjie, poublom (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

With its unusual flowers, attractive shape and ease of cultivation, the yellow wild iris is a versatile garden plant....

17 / 06 / 2002 | Marc Stern | Walter Sisulu NBG

Dierama tysonii

Common names: Tyson’s hairbells (Eng.); grasklokkies (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

The graceful hairbells are one of our most loved native plants; these perennial herbs have evergreen grass-like foliage, with slender, wiry stems from...

28 / 10 / 2019 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Dierama reynoldsii

Common names: This species does not appear to have a common name of its own, but the genus Dierama is known as hairbells, fairybells, wandflowers; grasklokkies (Afr

Family: Iridaceae

Just imagine the impact of a 'bulb' with flowers the colour of red wine (a young Shiraz , in particular), arising from bracts like the silver stem...

27 / 06 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Dierama pendulum

Common names: fairy bell, hair-bell, wedding bell (Eng.)

Family: Iridaceae

Admired for its graceful, wand-like stems, eye-catching pink flowers and erect, long, linear leaves, this easily cultivated plant is one of the most rewarding...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Didymaotus lapidiformis

Common names: stone plant (Eng.); beeskloutjie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Didymaotus lapidiformis is a fascinating chunky succulent that looks like a lithops on steroids! It grows in the arid winter rainfall regions of...

04 / 08 / 2008 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

Didelta spinosa

Common names: spiny salad bush (Eng.); perdebos, perdebossie, slaaibos, slaaibossie, t'arda (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Didelta spinosa is a fast-growing shrub or small tree with bright green leaves and large yellow flowers in winter and spring, that is drought-resistant...

10 / 05 / 2021 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Didelta carnosa var. tomentosa

Common names: hairy salad bush (Eng.); harige seegousblom, harige kusslaaibos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A captivating grey-foliage shrublet that is covered in bright yellow flowers from late winter into spring. It grows on dunes and sandy coastal flats and...

29 / 05 / 2023 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dicoma capensis

Common names: karmedik, fever bush (Eng.); karmedik, koorsbossie, melktoubos, melktou, bietou (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A small perennial plant with decumbent stems, thistle-like flowerheads and a pappus of two kinds, an outer ring of bristles and an inner one of broad white...

29 / 05 / 2023 | Thuli Makhoba | National Herbarium Pretoria

Dicoma anomala

Common names: fever bush, stomach bush (Eng.); maagbitterwortel, kalwerbossie, koorsbossie, gryshout, maagbossie (Afr.); hloenya, mohlasetse (South Sotho); inyongan

Family: Asteraceae

Dicoma anomala is a highly variable plant characterized by its stiff, sharp-pointed bracts, large flower heads and mauve-white florets surrounded by many...

26 / 02 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Dicliptera magaliesbergensis

Common names: none

Family: Acanthaceae

Dicliptera magaliesbergensis is one of 20 South African species of Dicliptera, and one of the 3 threatened species. It is found only in Gauteng and nowhere...

02 / 12 / 2019 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG

Dicliptera cernua

Common names: false buck-weed (Eng.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Dicliptera cernua is a vigorous and versatile winter-flowering groundcover, suitable for sunny or shady areas....

15 / 02 / 2016 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dichrostachys cinerea

Common names: sickle bush (Eng.); sekelbos (Afr.); uGagane (Zulu)

Family: Fabaceae

Dichrostachys cinerea is a spiny, deciduous shrub or small tree, up to 7 m high, with a rounded crown, 3 m wide....

28 / 09 / 2009 | M Cheek | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis

Mature adult bush with many upright branches

Common names: rhinoceros bush, rhenoster bush (Eng.); renosterbos, rhenosterbos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Although renosterbos is not showy or beautiful, it is an interesting and important component of our indigenous flora. It is the dominant member and the...

25 / 09 / 2006 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium

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

Dicerocaryum eriocarpum

Common names: devil’s thorn (Eng.); beesdubbeltjie, duiwelsdoring, seepbos (Afr.); intekelane (Ndebele); makanagwe (Tswana)

Family: Pedaliaceae

Dicerocaryum eriocarpum is a perennial herb which creeps along the ground in the Kalahari, with beautiful, bright mauve flowers that magnificently compliment...

30 / 01 / 2017 | Lerato Hoveka | National Herbarium Pretoria