Plants of the Week

Portulacaria carrissoana

Common names: Angolan porkbush (Eng.), Angola-wolftoon (Afr.)

Family: Didiereaceae

Portulacaria carrissoana is an ascending shrub with rounded greyish-green succulent leaves, very small cream-coloured flowers on short racemes in late...

08 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cycnium racemosum

Common names: large pink ink plant, large mountain ink flower, large pink mushroom flower (Eng.); berginkplant (Afr.); injanga (isiXhosa); uhlabahlangane (isiZulu)

Family: Orobanchaceae

An attractive mountain plant found in grassland on rocky outcrops, with large fragrant pink flowers in summer to early winter. Flowers turn black when...

08 / 04 / 2024 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Ledebouria burkei subsp. stolonissima

Common names: Lebowa African hyacinth

Family: Hyacinthaceae

...

15 / 04 / 2024 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia

Common names: cape mountain marigold, chrysanth rain daisy (Eng.); geelbergmargriet, gousblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia is an upright shrublet with distinctive coarsely toothed leaves and magnificent large golden-yellow flowerheads which are...

15 / 04 / 2024 | Thaabiet Parker | Compton Herbarium

Portulacaria longipedunculata

Common names: Kaoko porkbush (Eng.), langblaarwolftoon (Afr.)

Family: Didiereaceae

Portulacaria longipedunculata is an ascending, slow-growing shrub with reddish to pale brown peeling bark and scar-like nodes from which small, linear...

22 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clutia pulchella

Common names: common lightning bush, lightning bush, warty-fruited lightning bush (Eng); gewone bliksembos, oumeisieknie, weerligbos, vratjievrug-bliksembos (Afr);

Family: Peraceae

Clutia pulchella is easily distinguishable by its striking 'ladder-like', alternating arrangement of leaves, often with red leaves among the green....

22 / 04 / 2024 | Lungelo L. Sikhakhane | Free State NBG

Carpobrotus muirii

Common names: Albertinia sour fig, dwarf sour fig (Eng.), Albertinia-suurvy, kleinsuurvy (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

The Albertinia sour fig is a mat-forming leaf succulent from sandy regions near Albertinia in the Western Cape. It is the smallest of the species of Carpobrotus...

29 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Euphorbia schinzii

Common names: rock-milkbush, northern noors, Schinz’s spurge (Eng.); klipmelkbossie (Afr.)

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia schinzii is a small spiny plant with succulent stems, that enable it to store water, giving it resilience and allowing it to thrive in its harsh,...

29 / 04 / 2024 | Rofhiwa Ratshibvumo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Adromischus leucophyllus

Common names: flour-stonecrop, white-leaf adromischus (Eng.); witblaarplakkie, meel-boekplakkie (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

The flour-stonecrop is a dwarf, cluster-forming to pendent leaf succulent from the mountainous regions between Barrydale, Montagu, Robertson and De Doorns...

06 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Zanthoxylum davyi

Common names: forest knobwood, forest knobthorn (Eng.); bosperdepram, knopdoringhout (Afr.); umnugumabele, umnungwane, umnungwane omkhulu (isiZulu); tshamavhudzi, m

Family: Rutaceae

The forest knobwood tree, scientifically known as Zanthoxylum davyi, is a remarkable presence in southern African forests, with its its impressive height,...

06 / 05 / 2024 | Mpho Mathalauga | Pretoria NBG

Adromischus subdistichus

Common names: book-stonecrop (Eng.), boekieplakkie (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

The book-stonecrop is a dwarf, mat-forming to pendent, leaf succulent from the mountainous regions near Willowmore in Eastern Cape. The rounded flattened...

13 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Grewia rogersii

Common names: Waterberg raisin (Eng.); Waterberg-rosyntjie (Afr.); mulembu (Tshivenda)

Family: Malvaceae

The Waterberg raisin is a bushy shrub with attractive dark green and whitish bicoloured foliage, star shaped yellow flowers in summer and 4-lobed berry-like...

13 / 05 / 2024 | Sithembile Ndlovu | National Herbarium Pretoria

Adromischus schuldtianus subsp. brandbergensis

Common names: Brandberg adromischus (Eng.), Brandbergnenta (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus schuldtianus subsp. brandbergensis is a rare, cliff-hugging succulent from the Brandberg in central northern Namibia, it represents the northernmost...

20 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pachypodium saundersii

Common names: kudu lily, rathbonia (Eng.); koedoelelie (Afr.); isihlehle, insema-yamatshe (isiZulu); sikhubakhuba, ligubaguba (siSwati).

Family: Apocynaceae

A low succulent shrub with a large tuberous stem up to 1 m in diameter, mostly above ground and often irregularly shaped, few spiny branches and showy...

20 / 05 / 2024 | Khanyisile Nkosi | Pretoria NBG

Aloe hahnii

Common names: Soutpansberg aloe, Soutpansberg soap aloe (Eng.); Soutpansberg-bontaalwyn (Afr.); tshikhopha-tshituku (Ven.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe hahnii is a small, slow-growing, single-stemmed aloe, with a short stem, succulent leaves and red, white and green flowers. It occurs in the mistbelt...

27 / 05 / 2024 | Thembuluwo Maduwa | Thohoyandou NBG

Adromischus diabolicus

Common names: Gariep adromischus (Eng.), Gariepnenta (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus diabolicus is a rare, cliff-hugging succulent from the Northern Cape. The plants are dwarf, rosulate, leaf and stem succulents forming small...

27 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Carpobrotus mellei

Common names: mountain sourfig (Eng.), bergsuurvy (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

The mountain sourfig is a mat-forming leaf succulent from the mountains in the Western Cape. The leaves are ascending and slightly glaucous, the flowers...

03 / 06 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG