Plants of the Week

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

Thamnochortus bachmannii

Thamnochortus bachmannii
Common names: Namaqua thatching reed, steenbok reed (Eng.); steenboksriet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

Eye-catching bronze-brown flowerheads nod in the breeze as the sun sets over the distant mountains-they capture the rays and turn them into a fire dance....

08 / 05 / 2006 | Monique Twine | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Thamnochortus acuminatus

Thamnochortus acuminatus
Common names: goldhead thatchreed (Eng.)
Family: Restionaceae

A dwarf, densely tufted restio, which shows off its large inflorescences, golden-tan sheaths and bracts in spring, when flowering. ...

29 / 06 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tetragonia fruticosa

Tetragonia fruticosa in flower. Photo Nanna Joubert
Common names: sprawling sea coral, trailing dune-spinach (Eng.); kinkelbossie, kinkelklappers, kleinsaadklappiesbrak, klimopkinkelbossie, porseleinbos, slaaibos, wa
Family: Aizoaceae

A bushy shrub with a yellow-green appearance and a red tinge, and in bright sunlight it appears to glisten, because the plant is covered in striking, minute...

19 / 12 / 2022 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Tetragonia decumbens

Flowers,stems and leaves
Common names: dune spinach (Eng.); duinespinasie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

This widespread dune plant is edible and also performs an important role in stabilizing the sand, enabling the dune to develop into a friendly environment...

12 / 04 / 2004 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Tetradenia riparia

Tetradenia riparia
Common names: misty plume bush, ginger bush (English); gemmerbos, watersalie (Afrikaans); iboza, ibozane (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

An encounter with Tetradenia riparia in flower in the wintry, dry bush is most surprising. There is the impression of soft lilac mist on bare...

25 / 06 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Terminalia sericea

Terminalia sericea
Common names: mususu (Venda); silver cluster-leaf or silver terminalia (Eng.); vaalboom (Afr.)
Family: Combretaceae

Terminalia sericea is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree which grows up to 9 m, but individual trees can reach 23 m in height....

06 / 02 / 2012 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Terminalia phanerophlebia

Fruits (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Lebombo cluster-leaf (Eng.); Lebombotrosblaar (Afr.); amaNgwe-amnyama, amaNgwe-omphofu (isiZulu); mambonjwane (SiSwati)
Family: Combretaceae

A decorative shrub to small tree with a hard, heavy brown wood. It is an ideal tree for street planting....

11 / 08 / 2014 | F Nonyane | Pretoria NBG
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Tephrosia pondoensis

Tephrosia pondoensis (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Pondo poison-pea (Eng.); pondogifertjie, basterkurkbos (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

...

05 / 11 / 2018 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tephrosia kraussiana

Tephrosia kraussiana in habitat
Common names: inSangwana (isiZulu); isiPhungo (isiZulu: smelling)
Family: Fabaceae

Tephrosia kraussiana is relatively easy to cultivate. Its pinkish-purple flowers will add colour to gardens....

05 / 03 / 2012 | Anisha Dayaram | TSP
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Tecomaria capensis

Tecomaria capensis
Common names: Cape honeysuckle, tecomaria (Eng.); Kaapse kanferfoelie, trompetters (Afr.); malangula (Swazi); umsilingi, icakatha (Xhosa); lungana, incwincwi, uchac
Family: Bignoniaceae

...

23 / 04 / 2001 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Teclea gerrardii

Teclea gerrardii fruits (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Zulu cherry-orange, flaky-barked cherry-orange (Eng.); Zulukersielemoen (Afr.); umozane (isiZulu); umboza, inzinyana, (isiXhosa)
Family: Rutaceae

The Zulu cherry-orange is an ornamental tree that grows well in sunny or shady positions and invites wildlife to gardens because of its attractive, fleshy,...

16 / 05 / 2016 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Tavaresia barklyi

Tavaresia flower. Copyright: L. Viljoen
Common names: Devil's trumpet (E); bergghaap, katstert (A); olukatai (Ndonga, Ovamboland, northern Namibia); okukato lekadi, olukato lendume (Kwanyama, Ovamboland,
Family: Apocynaceae

The neat appearance of the ribbed stems furnished with bristles at first reminds one of a cactus, but when the bizarre trumpet-shaped flowers appear, one...

06 / 12 / 2010 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Tarchonanthus trilobus var. trilobus

Leaves and male flowers
Common names: three-lobed tarchonanthus, three-lobed camphor bush, trident camphor bush ( Eng. ), drietandkanferbos (Afr.), isiMemela, iGqeba-lamatshe (Xhosa), isiD
Family: Asteraceae

Tarchonanthus trilobus var. trilobus is a shapely, small, evergreen tree with decorative, aromatic foliage, well-suited to today's smaller...

24 / 09 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tarchonanthus littoralis

Woolly seedheads
Common names: coastal camphor bush ( Eng. ); kuskanferbos (Afr.); isiduli selindle (Xhosa); igqeba-elimhlophe, isidulu-sehlathi (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

For a small evergreen tree that will thrive in windy, coastal conditions, through drought, and in nutrient-poor, sandy soil, look no further than Tarchonanthus...

07 / 04 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tarchonanthus camphoratus

Tarchonanthus camphoratus
Common names: camphor bush (E), moologa (V), mofahlana (S.Sotho), igqeba emlimhlophe (Z), wildekanferbos (A), mofathla (T)
Family: Asteraceae

This interesting small tree with its attractive grey foliage is particularly suited to tough conditions. It was a very variable and widespread species...

27 / 05 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Tapinanthus rubromarginatus

Tapinanthus rubromarginatus
Common names: red mistletoe, bird lime, lighted candles; voelent, vuurhoutijies (A)
Family: Loranthaceae

This is a semi-parasitic aerial shrub with specialized roots called haustoria that grow into the wood of the host plant and extracts oil minerals...

24 / 09 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Tapinanthus oleifolius

Tapinanthus oleifolius in flower.  Image copyright L J Musselman
Common names: lighting matches, mistletoe (Eng.); voëlent, vuurhoutjie (Afr.); boletswa (Northern Sotho); nzunzu ( Venda )
Family: Loranthaceae

Tapinanthus oleifolius is one of the best known of the evergreen half-parasitic shrubs growing on other trees and shrubs. The sticky seeds are deposited...

26 / 09 / 2005 | Cathbert Makgakga | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Tamarix usneoides

Tamarix usneoides tree © Henry Brisse
Common names: wild tamarix, dabbie, daweb (Eng.); abiekwasgeelhout, dabbie, dabees, dawee, daweep, dawib, dawip, soutboom (Afr.)
Family: Tamaricaceae

Tamarix usneoides is an evergreen shrubby tree of semideserts and karooid areas, with short scaly trunk, leafy branches usually extending from ground...

23 / 01 / 2012 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Talinum caffrum

Talinum caffrum
Common names: porcupine root (Eng.); osbossie, ystervarkwortel, ystervarkkos, wildevygie (Afr.); mphunyaka, kgalahete, punyuka bamphethe (Tsw.); impunyu, inkucula
Family: Talinaceae

A drought resistant, deciduous perennial with a large tuberous caudex, edible succulent leaves and short-lived yellow flowers in summer....

09 / 12 / 2019 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Tagetes minuta

Tagetes minor, inflorescence
Common names: khaki bush, khaki weed, African marigold (Eng.); kakiebos, khakibos, langkakiebos, stinkbos, stinkkhakibos, transvaalse kakiebos (Afr.); mbanje (isiNd
Family: Asteraceae

Khaki bush planted around your house will provide you with a very good early-warning security system. The strong odor of the bush when crushed will immediately...

27 / 02 / 2017 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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