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Themeda triandra

Rooigras grasslands
Common names: red grass (Eng.); rooigras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

This is a lovely green to blue-green tufted grass that is often flushed with pink and turns red with age. Some forms have bright yellow culms (stems)....

12 / 04 / 2004 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Coleus kirkii

Coleus kirkii
Common names: prickly sage, blue soldier sage (Eng.); stekelsalie (Afr.); umvuthuza, uhlalawane (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

A beautiful perennial with two-tone, spiky, pale blue and mauve flowerheads in late summer to autumn; a good choice for the mixed border if you live in...

29 / 03 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbine frutescens

Bulbine frutescens. Photo: G Nichols
Common names: stalked bulbine, snake flower, cat's tail, burn jelly plant (Eng.); balsem kopieva, geelkatstert (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This is a popular, waterwise garden plant, especially when planted en masse as a ground cover, or in rock gardens. It is also cultivated for its medicinal...

22 / 03 / 2004 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG
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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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Cotyledon orbiculata

Cotyledon orbiculata
Common names: pig's ears, cotyledon (Eng.); plakkie, platjies, varkoorblare, varkoor, kouterie (Afr.); imphewula (isiXhosa); ipewula (isiZulu)
Family: Crassulaceae

This fast-growing succulent is well known to gardeners, forms a low shrub and adds colour to the winter garden. Forms with handsome grey leaves provide...

15 / 03 / 2004 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG
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Erythrina zeyheri

E. zeheri growing in Free State NBG
Common names: harrow-breaker, plough-breaker (Eng.); ploegbreker (Afr.); khungoana, motumo (Southern Sotho?); umnsinsana (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

It is only in Africa where one can find this stunning, hardy, deciduous shrublet that produces brilliant scarlet flowers in late spring — local is...

08 / 03 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Vangueria infausta

Green fruits of Vangueria infausta: Photo: T Basson
Common names: wild medlar (Eng.); wilde mispel (Afr.); mpfilwa (Tsonga & Shangaan); mmilo (Northern Sotho); muzwilu, mavelo (Venda); umviyo, umtulwa (Zulu); umv
Family: Rubiaceae

This species is one of South Africa's more popular veld fruits, and can be enjoyed while walking. This lovely little tree is considered to possess...

01 / 03 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Frithia humilis

Frithia humilis
Common names: window plants, fairy elephant's feet (Eng.);bobbejaanvingers, glasies, toontjies (Afr.) Status: Endangered
Family: Aizoaceae

This miniature leaf succulent is attractive even when not flowering as the windowed leaves with crenulate markings are showy and unique....

23 / 02 / 2004 | P Burgoyne | Pretoria NBG
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Jasminum multipartitum

Jasminum multipartitum
Common names: starry wild jasmine (Eng.); sterretjies-jasmyn (Afr.); imfohlafohlane (Zulu)
Family: Oleaceae

This is a very rewarding plant with sweetly scented, white, waxy flowers displayed against glossy, dark green foliage. Consider it a 'must-have'...

23 / 02 / 2004 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Osmunda regalis

Young frond & unfurling crozier. Photo A Klopper
Common names: royal fern (Eng.); adelvaring (Afr.)
Family: Osmundaceae

Osmunda regalis is unusual in that it forms new fertile fronds in autumn, and not in spring or summer as is common in most ferns....

16 / 02 / 2004 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Mentha longifolia

Mentha longifolia subsp.capensis
Common names: wild mint (Eng.); kruisement, balderjan, ballerja (Afr.); koena-ya-thaba, bohatsu (Southern Sotho); inixina, inzinziniba (Xhosa); ufuthana lomhlanga (
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
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Solanum giganteum

Berries of Solanum giganteum
Common names: healing-leaf tree, giant bitter-apple, red bitter-apple, red bitter-berry, thorny bug-tree (Eng.); geneesblaarboom, grootbitterappel, rooibitterbessie
Family: Solanaceae

This big shrub with its colourful, long-lasting berries and large leaves with silvery undersides, makes an unusual hedge or background plant....

19 / 01 / 2004 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Frithia pulchra

Frithia pulchra
Common names: bobbejaanvingers, glasies, toontjies, window plants and, perhaps most appropriately fairy elephant's feet.
Family: Aizoaceae

Window-leaf succulents are always very popular as the shape of the leaves is unique and when in flower the magenta petals with lighter centres cover the...

12 / 01 / 2004 | P Burgoyne | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ehretia rigida

Ehretia rigida in flower. Image Geoff Nicols
Common names: puzzle bush (Eng.); deurmekaarbos (Afr.); umHlele (Zulu); Morobe (Northern Sotho); iBotshane (Xhosa); Mutepe (Venda)
Family: Boraginaceae

Ehretia rigida is a deciduous small tree or shrub, usually multi-stemmed, with an untidy rounded crown. It has tangled branches which arch downwards or...

23 / 12 / 2003 | Avhurengwi Phillemon Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Justicia petiolaris

Justicia petiolaris
Common names: blue justicia, kissing-leaves (Eng.); kiesieblaar (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Attractive and little-known perennial shrubs with soft velvety leaves and pretty pink-purple or mauve-blue, two-lipped, pouted flowers, present almost...

15 / 12 / 2003 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Salvia repens

Salvia repens
Common names: creeping sage (Eng.); kruipsalie (Afr.); usikiki (Xho.)
Family: Lamiaceae

As another member of the interesting sage family, this creeping sage with its aromatic leaves and abundance of flowers in summer, is a perennial worth...

24 / 11 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vachellia sieberiana var. woodii

Vachellia sieberiana var.woodii
Common names: paperbark thorn (Eng.); papierbasdoring (Afr.); Mphoka (North Sotho); umNganduzi (Siswati); Mokha, Morumosetlha (Tswana); Musaunga (Venda); umKhamba (
Family: Fabaceae

Pure stands of these beautifully shaped trees with their perfectly flattened crowns are quite stunning. Where else but in Africa would you encounter such...

03 / 11 / 2003 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG
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Heteromorpha arborescens

Heteromorpha arborescens
Common names: parsley tree (Eng.); wildepietersielie, pietersieliebos (Afr.), umbangadlala (Zul.), umbangadlala, umbangandlatho, umbangeza, iyeza-lempambano (Xho.)
Family: Apiaceae

This small to medium-sized, deciduous tree or straggly shrub is suitable for a small, low-maintenance garden. The bark often helps to distinguish it from...

13 / 10 / 2003 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG
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Nymphoides thunbergiana

Nymphoides thunbergiana
Common names: floating hearts (Eng.), geelwaterlelie (Afr.), marombodane (Venda)
Family: Menyanthaceae

This is a pretty, fast-growing, perennial water plant with flat, rounded, floating leaves, and delicate white and yellow flowers in summer. It makes a...

15 / 09 / 2003 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Kigelia africana

Flowers of Kigelia africana
Common names: sausage tree (Eng.); worsboom (Afr.); umVunguta, umFongothi (Zulu); Modukguhlu (North Sotho); Muvevha (Venda)
Family: Bignoniaceae

The sausage tree boasts long, open sprays of large, wrinkled, maroon or dark red trumpet-shaped flowers that are velvety on the inside and that virtually...

04 / 08 / 2003 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG
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