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Tylecodon ellaphieae

Common names: Rosyntjieberg-nenta (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

Tylecodon ellaphieae is one of 46 species in the genus Tylecodon, all endemic to the winter rainfall region of South Africa and Namibia....

01 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Moringa ovalifolia

M.ovalifolia growing on Brandberg, Namibia

Common names: phantom tree, ghost tree, African moringo (Eng.); sprokiesboom, meelsakboom (Afr.); Omutindi (Herero); Oluhongwe (Ovambo)

Family: Moringaceae

Moringa ovalifolia is a decorative, thickset, succulent-stemmed, erect tree of the dry, desert and semi-desert areas of Namibia. It can be seen on...

08 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Muraltia heisteria

Common names: spiky purple gorse (Eng.); kastybos, persblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Polygalaceae

Muraltia heisteria is unknown to many people, yet it has so much potential as a garden plant, bringing colour, texture and charm to the garden. It...

15 / 01 / 2007 | Marga Den Hartigh | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dewinteria petrophila

Common names: Kaokoveld klipblom (Afr.)

Family: Pedaliaceae

Dewinteria petrophila is remarkable for its amazing reproduction on cliff faces. Apart from producing normal leaves, fruits and wind-dispersed seed,...

22 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria gueinzii

Common names: bush violet (Eng.); bosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria gueinzii is an unarmed (without thorns) evergreen shrub, which bears beautiful mauve to blue flowers from February to April and is ideal...

05 / 02 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Aloe broomii

Common names: mountain aloe, snake aloe (Eng.); bergaalwee, slangaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe broomii has a unique feature that no other aloe has - the flowers and buds cannot be seen when the flower is fully open because they are completely...

12 / 02 / 2007 | Lusindiso Xulubana | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pavetta schumanniana

Common names: poison bride's bush (Eng.); gifbruidsbos (Afr.); Sawoti (siSwati); Tshituku ( Venda ); isiMbuzana (isiZulu)

Family: Rubiaceae

What? A poisonous (or poisoned) bride? Surely that is the starting-point of a third-rate horror movie, or a children's fairy tale! No, in fact the...

12 / 02 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Searsia pyroides

Unripe fruits.Photo Copyright Geoff Nichols

Common names: common wild currant, fire-thorn karree (Eng.); gewone taaibos (Afr); motshakhutshakhu (North Sotho); koditshane (South Sotho); mogodiri (Tswana); muta

Family: Anacardiaceae

To the gardener who likes variety in the garden, Searsia pyroides should not be left out. This is a good species to provide textural variation in your...

19 / 02 / 2007 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Crotalaria capensis

Common names: Cape rattle-pod, Cape laburnum (Eng.); Kaapse klapperpeul (Afr.); bukheshezane (Zulu)

Family: Fabaceae

Clusters of large golden yellow flowers and seedpod bunches that rattle with dry seeds make this quick-growing shrub a delight in any garden....

05 / 03 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oscularia deltoides

Common names: dassievygie, sandsteenvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Oscularia deltoides is an easy-to-grow, succulent groundcover, ideal as an accent plant and for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens....

05 / 03 / 2007 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium

Aloe hardyi

Common names: Penge aloe

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe hardyi is a decorative pendent aloe with grey-green soft leaves in rosettes at the end of hanging stems. ...

12 / 03 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pelargonium citronellum

Common names: citronella pelargonium, lemon-scented pelargonium ( Eng. ); malva (Afr.)

Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium citronellum has decorative leaves that have a strong, clean, lemon fragrance....

26 / 03 / 2007 | Luyanda Mjuleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Phylica ericoides

Common names: heath phylica, ericoid phylica ( Eng. ); hardebos (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

Phylica ericoides is a tough but decorative little shrub with dark green foliage and masses of showy white flower heads during autumn-winter, perfect...

16 / 04 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Widdringtonia schwarzii

Common names: Baviaanskloof cedar, Willowmore cedar (Eng.); Baviaanskloofseder (Afr.)

Family: Cupressaceae

Widdringtonia schwarzii is an ancient giant from the Baviaanskloof Mountains, often with a gnarled trunk and spreading branches, which can reach 40...

23 / 04 / 2007 | C Cowell | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Cladostemon kirkii

Common names: three-finger bush, butterfly-tree (Eng.); Tonga-kierie (Eng. & Afr.); umThekwini, umusi-iyamuka, uphanda, isidumbu (isiZulu)

Family: Brassicaceae

How is it possible that a tree with such attractive flowers should bear fruits with such an awful stench?...

07 / 05 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Elaeodendron transvaalense

Common names: bushveld saffron (Eng.); bosveldsaffraan, lepelhout (Afr.); iNgwavuma, uMgugudo (Zulu); shimapana (Tsonga); monamane (Northern Sotho)

Family: Celastraceae

Elaeodendron transvaalense is an attractive, small to medium tree that fits perfectly in a small garden. Those gardening for biodiversity will find this...

28 / 05 / 2007 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG