Plants of the Week

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E.g., 12/11/2024
E.g., 12/11/2024

Brunia cordata

Brunia cordata
Common names: eastern streambush
Family: Bruniaceae

An eye-catching shrub with striking panicles of white flowers in spring, which grows along streams in the Western Cape....

06 / 06 / 2022 | Rofhiwa Ingrid Mudau | Pretoria NBG
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Adromischus fallax

Adromischus fallax
Common names: large cliff-adromischus (Eng.); groot-kransrosie, groot-kransnenta (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus fallax is a rare, cliff-hugging, occasionally pendent, leaf and stem succulent from the southern escarpment margin near Graaff Reinet in the...

06 / 06 / 2022 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adromischus humilis

Adromischus humilis
Common names: dwarf cliff adromischus (Eng.); bontkransrosie, bontkransnenta (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus humilis is a rare, cliff-hugging succulent from the southwestern Escarpment margin, between Sutherland and Beaufort West, in the Western Cape....

30 / 05 / 2022 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica vernicosa

Erica vernicosa
Common names: varnished heath (Eng.), vernisteheid (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

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30 / 05 / 2022 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Allium synnotii

Allium synnotii
Common names: wild onion, Cape onion (Eng.), ajuin, wilde-ajuin, ajuintjie, berg-ajuin (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The wild onion (Allium synnotii) grows widespread in the drier regions of the winter-rainfall region. Plants are usually solitary, but grow in groups,...

24 / 05 / 2022 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cienfuegosia hildebrandtii

Cienfuegosia hildebrandtii
Common names: small cotton bush, wedge-leaf false-hibiscus, small fly-mallow (Eng.)
Family: Malvaceae

Small Cotton Bush has beautiful, bicoloured, hibiscus-like flowers, with bold red to maroon centres on yellow flowers. Unlike the true Cotton, Gossypium...

24 / 05 / 2022 | Swinky Nkosi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Stilbe vestita

Stilbe vestita
Common names: grey stilbe
Family: Stilbaceae

Stilbe vestita is a fynbos shrub with upright stems that are covered with closely packed, needle-like leaves, and have dense spikes of small white flowers...

18 / 04 / 2022 | Siqamo Yeko | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria megaphylla

Ledebouria megaphylla
Common names: Sekhukune African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

An attractive bulbous plant with broadly ovate, attractively spotted leaves and purple flowers in spring. The species has fast become popular in horticulture...

18 / 04 / 2022 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Restio virgeus

Restio virgeus
Common names: twiggy peg-reed
Family: Restionaceae

A small restio forming dense, tangled tufts, with curly branches when young, that straighten out when mature and produce attractive, reddish-brown inflorescences...

11 / 04 / 2022 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eucomis sonnetteana

Eucomis sonnetteana
Common names: Morgenzon pineapple lily
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This jewel of Mpumalanga is one of the dwarf pineapple lilies, so named, because their flowerheads resemble a pineapple. This one is a recently discovered...

11 / 04 / 2022 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Cotula pruinosa

Cotula pruinosa
Common names: yellow bachelor buttons, yellow turban buttons (Eng.); ganskos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Cotula pruinosa is a yellow flowered annual that occurs in the winter rainfall region of South Africa.Fig. 1. The flowerhead of Cotula pruinosa. Photos...

04 / 04 / 2022 | Aarifah Jakoet | Compton Herbarium
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Lapeirousia jacquinii

Lapeirousia jacquinii
Common names: harlequin cabong, purple cabong, Jacquin's lapeirousia, purple corn-lily, wild violet (Eng.); kabong, paletblaar, rukkeperdjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A small plant with vibrant purple, white and reddish flowers, best enjoyed at close quarters. It is perfectly suited for pots in small spaces, grows easily...

04 / 04 / 2022 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Euphorbia umfoloziensis

Euphorbia umfoloziensis
Common names: Umfolozi euphorbia (Eng.); (some euphorbias are commonly known as umhlonhlo in isiZulu)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

In a hot river valley in northern KwaZulu-Natal, this rare, spiny, dwarf succulent can be found. It has only ever been recorded from this one river valley....

28 / 03 / 2022 | Nokukhanya Nozipho Mhlongo | TSP
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Haworthiopsis limifolia

Haworthiopsis limifolia
Common names: file-leaf haworthiopsis (Eng.); isihlalakahle, omathithibala, umathithibala (isiZulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthiopsis limifolia is a small, compact, rosulate, leafy succulent that grows singly or in groups. This species is commonly known as umathithibala...

28 / 03 / 2022 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Carpobrotus deliciosus

Carpobrotus deliciosus
Common names: delicious sour fig, sweet sour fig (Eng.); suurvy, perdevy, gaukum (Afr.); igcuthuma (Xho.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A flat-growing, rapidly spreading, evergreen, succulent-leaved perennial with large, purple-pink flowers in spring and edible fruits, Carpobrotus deliciosus...

21 / 03 / 2022 | Anam Cimi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vigna vexillata var. vexillata

Vigna vexillata var. vexillata
Common names: wild cowpea, narrow-leaved wild sweetpea (Eng.); wilde-akkerboontjie, wilde-ertjie (Afr.); mgcenga (siSwati); isikhwali, ubombo, umcwasibe, umnxwasibe
Family: Fabaceae

Vigna vexillata var. vexillata is a perennial, creeping or climbing herb, with beautiful and pleasantly scented, whitish to mauve or dark pink flowers...

21 / 03 / 2022 | Ofentse Mmako | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crassula alba

Crassula alba
Common names: grassland red crassula (Eng.); feko, khato (Sesotho); impakatha, isidwe, isikhelekhehlane (isiZulu)
Family: Crassulaceae

A low-maintenance, attractive garden plant, with enormous, scarlet flower heads that offer a splash of colour to our autumn grasslands, and bright green,...

14 / 03 / 2022 | Philile Khuzwayo | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Hermannia scabra

Hermannia scabra
Common names: scabrid doll’s rose, gold cups (Eng.) poprosie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia scabra is an evergreen shrublet with gorgeous, eye catching, bright yellow, bell-shaped flowers in winter and spring; ideal for fynbos and renosterveld...

14 / 03 / 2022 | Zoleka May | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Nerine ridleyi

Nerine ridleyi
Common names: Ridley’s nerine
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Nerine ridleyi is a seldom seen, light pink or rose-pink-flowered geophyte with arching, grey leaves, occurring on upper mountain slopes in the southwestern...

07 / 03 / 2022 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Babiana stricta

Common names: baboon flower, babiana (Eng.), bobbejaantjie, bobbejaanuintjie, katjetie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Babiana stricta is now known as Babiana nervosa....

07 / 03 / 2022 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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