Plants of the Week

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E.g., 11/10/2024
E.g., 11/10/2024

Brunia noduliflora

Brunia noduliflora flower heads
Common names: common brunia (Eng.); knopbos, knoppies, fonteinbos, stompies, volstruisies (Afr.)
Family: Bruniaceae

Brunia noduliflora is an unusual fynbos shrub and a Cape endemic; it has clusters of fluffy white pompon-like flower heads in winter and knobby fruits...

01 / 03 / 2010 | Zoleka Maphanga | Kirstenbosch NBG
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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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Brunia albiflora

See Berzelia albiflora...

24 / 04 / 2004 | | Pretoria NBG
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Bruguiera gymnorrhiza

Propagules of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza
Common names: black mangrove (Eng.); swartwortelboom (Afr.); isiKhangazi, isi Hlobane (isiZulu); isiKhangathi (isiXhosa); m'tumansi, setaca (Mozambique, language un
Family: Rhizophoraceae

...

24 / 10 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Bridelia micrantha

Bridelia micrantha leaves and berries
Common names: mitseeri, bruin stinkhout (Afr.); motsere (Sotho); ndzerhe (Tswana)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

Beautiful, fast growing shade tree, usually with scattered bright red leaves....

18 / 01 / 2010 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG
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Breonadia salicina

Breonadia salicina
Common names: matumi, African teak, wild-oleander, Transvaal teak (Eng.); mingerhout, watermatoemie, waterboekenhout, basterkiaat (Afr.); mohlomê (Northern Sotho);
Family: Rubiaceae

A handsome, tall, evergreen tree, suitable for big gardens and parks, with a straight trunk and a dense, narrow crown, known to be an excellent wood for...

05 / 06 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brassica

Brassica tournefortii (Ron Vanderhoff)
Common names: mustard, cabbage, kale, rape
Family: Brassicaceae

Members of this genus are known as cruciferous vegetables, cabbages or mustard plants. Commonly used for food (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels...

01 / 01 / 2018 | Tlou Manyelo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Brackenridgea zanguebarica

Brackenridgea zanguebarica
Common names: yellow peeling plane (Eng.); geellekkerbreek (Afr.); mutavhatsindi (Ven.)
Family: Ochnaceae

...

25 / 04 / 2011 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Brachystelma modestum

Flowers and leaves (David Styles)
Common names: none known
Family: Apocynaceae

The name modestum appears well deserved by this diminutive species of Brachystelma since the flowers are so astonishingly attractive, while the plant...

22 / 10 / 2007 | Suvarna Parbhoo | TSP
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Brachystelma gerrardii

Brachystelma gerrardii
Common names: Gerrard’s Brachystelma (Eng.)
Family: Apocynaceae

The shiny, lush, metallic green, or sometimes black flowers, are a rare delight to the eyes. Although having an extensive range across 3 provinces, this...

29 / 03 / 2021 | Aaliyah Motala | CREW
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Brachystelma foetidum

Brachystelma foetidum
Common names: Hottentots bread (Eng); Hotnotsbrood, Hottentotsbrood (Afr); seru (Sesotho).
Family: Apocynaceae

A small, herbaceous perennial from the grasslands, with a large, flattened, underground, potato-like tuber, and unusual purple-brown and greenish yellow...

06 / 08 / 2018 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Brachystelma barberae

Brachystelma barberae
Common names: platvoetaasblom (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Brachystelma barberae is without doubt the most spectacular species in the genus. It is probably the best known cultivated caudiciform asclepiad. If the...

08 / 09 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Brachylaena transvaalensis

Brachylaena transvaalensis
Common names: forest silver-oak (Eng.); bosvaalbos, vaalboom (Afr.); umPhahla, iPhahla (Sw, Z); mphahla (NS); mufhata (V)
Family: Asteraceae

This medium to large tree with its dark green glossy leaves produces dense clusters of whitish flowers from July to September....

09 / 04 / 2012 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Brachylaena rotundata

Brachylaena rotundata
Common names: mountain silver-oak, Transvaal silver-tree (Eng.); bergvaalbos, bergvaalboom (Afr.); moswane (Tsw)
Family: Asteraceae

This tree is ideal for small to medium-sized gardens. It produces yellow, thistle-like flowers in spring and has eye-catching, silver-grey leaves, that...

14 / 05 / 2018 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brachylaena glabra

Brachylaena glabra
Common names: malbar, malabar silver-oak (Eng.); malbarboom, malblaar (Afr.); umphahla-wehlathi, amacirha (Xhosa); umphahla (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

A member of the Aster family, Brachylaena glabra is a lovely medium-sized tree with a spreading crown and heads of small, white flowers....

10 / 02 / 2020 | Siphesihle Precious Sibiya | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brachylaena elliptica

Brachylaena elliptica flowers are visited by bees (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: bitterleaf, bitterleaved silver-oak, fire-sticks (Eng.); bitterblaar, suurbos (Afr); isiduli; isagqeba, umphahla (IsiXhosa); isiduli-ehlathi, igqeba-e
Family: Asteraceae

This is an attractive small tree or large shrub with interesting aromatic, dark green foliage with greyish silver undersides....

19 / 12 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brachylaena discolor

Seed heads
Common names: Coast silver oak (E), Kusvaalbos (Afr.), Phahla (isiZulu), Mphahla (N.Sotho), umPhahla (isiXhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

...

06 / 01 / 2003 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brachycorythis conica subsp. transvaalensis

Brachycorythis conica subsp. transvaalensis
Common names: Albertina Sisulu Orchid
Family: Orchidaceae

This beautiful and enigmatic orchid was first recorded in 1918; it was last seen in the Gauteng Province in 1956, until its rediscovery in 2007. This species...

04 / 04 / 2016 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Brachiaria serrata

Brachiaria serrata
Common names: red top grass, velvet signal (Eng.) ; rooisinjaalgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

Brachiaria serrata is a perennial grass with bright green leaves and red or purplish-red spikelets covered in silky hairs....

12 / 05 / 2008 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Brabejum stellatifolium

Flowers of the wild almond
Common names: bitteramandel, wild almond, wilde-amandel, ghoeboontjie, ghoekoffie
Family: Proteaceae

This tree is famous in South Africa for being used to make Van Riebeeck's Hedge, the first formal boundary marker between the new Cape colony and the...

08 / 09 / 2003 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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