Plants of the Week

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E.g., 20/11/2024
E.g., 20/11/2024

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Aristea torulosa

Aristea torulosa
Common names: Wood’s aristea (Eng.); blousuurkanol (Afr.); khahla, lethepu-le-lenyenyane (Sesotho,); umluzi omncane (isiZulu); phayimashimane (siSwati)
Family: Iridaceae

A lovely, vibrant species of Aristea with striking, star-like, blue flowers that appear prolifically in summer....

25 / 11 / 2024 | Ofentse Naanyane | Free State NBG
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Searsia gerrardii

Searsia gerrardii red leaves in autumn
Common names: river karee, river currant (Eng.), riviertaaibos (Afr.), inhlokoshiyane, umhlakaza (isiZulu)
Family: Anacardiaceae

Searsia gerrardii is a shrub-like tree with a graceful, weeping habit, striking reddish bark and noticeable orange lenticels (raised pores) on the branchlets....

18 / 11 / 2024 | Luyanda Bhengu | Free State NBG
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Brunsvigia pulchra

Brunsvigia pulchra
Common names: Namaqualand tulip, torch candelabra (Eng.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Brunsvigia pulchra is a rarer member of the genus, restricted to the more arid, semi-desert region of Namaqualand. There is a striking contrast between...

18 / 11 / 2024 | Gianpaolo Gilardi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica blandfordia

Erica blandfordia
Common names: yellow wax heath (Eng.); geelwasheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica blandfordia gives a show of bright yellow flowers in spring and early summer....

11 / 11 / 2024 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stenoglottis longifolia

Stenoglottis longifolia growing on its preferred rocky substrate
Common names: long-leaved stenoglottis
Family: Orchidaceae

The long-leaved stenoglottis is an attractive, relatively easy-to-grow orchid that charms with its graceful spikes of lilac to mauve flowers. It naturally...

11 / 11 / 2024 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Watsonia strubeniae

Watsonia strubeniae
Common names: Sabie watsonia Graskop watsonia, Struben’s watsonia (Eng.) Graskopse-kanolpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia strubeniae is a charming grassland geophyte endemic to Mpumalanga, known for its tall spikes of pale pink autumn flowers, and it thrives in sunny,...

04 / 11 / 2024 | Pfuluwani Ndou | Lowveld NBG
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Aloestrela suzannae

Aloestrela suzannae in the Pretoria NBG
Common names: Malagasy tree aloe, Suzanna’s aloe (Eng.); vaho, vahona, vahondrano (Malagasy)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloestrela suzannae, is a rare and attractive species from Madagascar, that fascinates botanists and plant enthusiasts alike with its striking foliage,...

04 / 11 / 2024 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Ruellia patula

Ruellia patula
Common names: white veld violet (Eng); witveldviooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

A small attractive spreading perennial with stems up to 500 mm long, and white to mauve or purple funnel-shaped flowers in summer. It is easy to grow,...

28 / 10 / 2024 | Thembuluwo Maduwa | Thohoyandou NBG
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Chaetachme aristata

Chaetachme aristata
Common names: thorny elm (Eng.); doringolm, basterwitpeer (Afr.); mula-nguluvhe, muthavhalunzhi (Tshivenda); umbhangbangwe, umkaboti (isiZulu); umkaboti, umkhovothi
Family: Cannabaceae

Chaetachme aristata is a fascinating tree species, commonly found across the eastern regions of southern Africa and in tropical Africa and Madagascar....

28 / 10 / 2024 | Gugu Mkhabela | Pretoria NBG
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Mimetes pauciflorus

Mimetes pauciflorus
Common names: three-flowered pagoda, Outeniqua pagoda (Eng.); Outeniekwastompie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Mimetes pauciflorus has dense, narrow, cylindrical, orange-yellow flower heads at the tips of tall stems in spring. It grows in moist sandstone fynbos...

21 / 10 / 2024 | Anele Tsotso | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Anacampseros filamentosa subsp. filamentosa

Anacampseros filamentosa subsp. filamentosa
Common names: thready anacampseros, hare's food, rabbit's food, rabbit's foot (Eng); boesmansuring, haaskos, hasieskos, kleinhaaskos, kleinhasieskos, haasballetjies
Family: Anacampserotaceae

Anacampseros filamentosa subsp. filamentosa is a distinctive and striking dwarf succulent , easily recognized by its dense covering of fine hairs. This...

21 / 10 / 2024 | Lungelo L. Sikhakhane | Free State NBG
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Delosperma sutherlandii

Delosperma sutherlandii
Common names: Sutherland’s ice plant, fire sheepfig (Eng.); Sutherland-se-vygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Delosperma sutherlandii is a drought-tolerant perennial succulent with fleshy green foliage, and bright purple flowers in spring and summer. It is a ground...

14 / 10 / 2024 | Murendeni Kwinda | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Watsonia lepida

Watsonia lepida
Common names: lonesome watsonia (Eng.); khahla (Sesotho)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia lepida has showy pink flowers in midsummer, it is a summer-grower from the Drakensberg Mountains, that occurs as scattered individuals amongst...

14 / 10 / 2024 | Mashudu Tshitereke | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Mesembryanthemum amplectens

Mesembryanthemum amplectens in flower in habitat
Common names: clasping ice plant (Eng.); klouvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A distinctive low-growing succulent dominating the flat lands of the Richtersveld, forming a beautiful floral mat on open spaces with its eye-catching...

07 / 10 / 2024 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
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Gladiolus liliaceus

Gladiolus liliaceus
Common names: large brown-afrikaner, large brown africander, brown africander, sword lily (Eng.); ribbokblom, aandpypie, grootbruinafrikaner, kaneelaandblom, bruina
Family: Iridaceae

The large brown-afrikaner has a remarkable ability to transform its flower colour from light brown, pinkish-red, tan, purplish, cream or greenish-yellow...

07 / 10 / 2024 | Ramafalo Dikeledi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Senecio articulatus

Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)

This plant is now called Baculellum articulatum ...

30 / 09 / 2024 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Curio articulatus

Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Baculellum articulatum ...

30 / 09 / 2024 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Baculellum articulatum

Baculellum articulatum
Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This little succulent plant from the daisy family, known as sausage plant or candle plant, is so named for its distinctive jointed, swollen stems....

30 / 09 / 2024 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Aloe suprafoliata

Aloe suprafoliata, leaves stacked on top of each other like pages of an open book.
Common names: book aloe, book-leaved aloe (Eng.), boekaalwyn (Afr.), icena, umhlabandlazi (isiZulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe suprafoliata has a distinctive growth habit that changes as it matures, with the young emerging leaves curving out sideways, stacked directly on top...

30 / 09 / 2024 | Keitumetse Lenong | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Eragrostis capensis

Eragrostis capensis
Common names: Cape love grass, small heart-seed grass (Eng.), bosluisgras, hartjiegras, hartjie eragrostis (Afr.); baroa, baroana, la-barao, la-baroana, senana (Ses
Family: Poaceae

Cape love grass can be recognized easily because of their heart-shaped and purple-flushed spikelets; the best guide to the identification of species of...

23 / 09 / 2024 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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