Plants of the Week

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E.g., 06/12/2024
E.g., 06/12/2024

Polhillia ignota

Polhillia ignota
Common names: due to the rarity of this species, there are no common names recorded for it.
Family: Fabaceae

Only known from two records made over 80 years ago, this lost species was recently rediscovered by the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW)....

14 / 11 / 2016 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Polygala fruticosa 'Southern Shores'

P.fruticosa 'Southern Shores'
Common names: 'Southern Shores' butterfly bush, heart-leaf polygala (Eng.); 'Southern Shores' ertjieblom (Afr.); ulopesi, ulapesi, umabalabala (Xho.); ithethe (Zul.
Family: Polygalaceae

Many people are familiar with the hardy coastal shrub, Polygala myrtifolia which is useful addition to indigenous gardens. Kirstenbosch staff...

04 / 11 / 2002 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polygala gazensis

Polygala gazensis
Common names: Gazaland butterfly bush, Gazaland milkwort (Eng.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Polygala gazensis is one of the lesser known polygalas, with an unusual yellow-bronzed tinge to the green foliage that is eye-catching in the garden, particularly...

28 / 09 / 2020 | Zoleka May | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polygala myrtifolia

Polygala myrtifolia
Common names: september bush (Eng.); septemberbossie, augustusbossie, blouertjie, langelede (Afr.); ulopesi, ulapesi, umabalabala (Xho.); uchwasha (Zul.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Polygala myrtifolia is a common, widespread pioneer shrub with pretty mauve flowers on and off throughout the year with a peak in spring, hence the names...

29 / 09 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polygala virgata

Polygala virgata
Common names: Purple Broom (Eng.); Persboom, Bloukappie (Afr.); Ea moru (Nd); Hlokoa leleue (Sotho); Ithethe (Z)
Family: Polygalaceae

This charming slender shrub, bearing spikes of bright purple magenta winged flowers is an eye-catcher in any garden. Polygala virgata is one of the beautiful...

20 / 12 / 2004 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polystachya pubescens

Polystachya pubescens
Common names: amabelejongosi (Zulu)
Family: Orchidaceae

This delightful bright yellow, fragrant epiphytic orchid is at home on a tree branch in the forest or on a sandstone rock in the full sun....

01 / 11 / 2004 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Polystichum

Polystichum pungens
Common names: shield ferns
Family: Dryopteridaceae

Polystichum (Class: Filicopsida, Order: Polypodiales), or shield ferns, as they are commonly called, is a genus of 160 to 200 species. They occur...

08 / 03 / 2004 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium
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Polytrichum commune

Polytrichum commune habit © J. K. Lindsey
Common names: common hair cap moss
Family: Polytrichaceae

Polytrichum commune is one of the largest mosses in southern Africa and can grow up to 25 cm high. Its stiff, narrow leaves are spirally arranged at right...

15 / 08 / 2011 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Polyxena corymbosa

This plant is now known as Lachenalia corymbosa...

01 / 03 / 2003 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Portulacaria afra

Portulacaria afra 'Aurea'
Common names: Porkbush, Elephant's Food (English); Spekboom. Olifantskos (Afrikaans); iNtelezi, isiDondwane, isAmbilane, iNdibili, isiCococo (isiZulu); iGqwanitsha
Family: Portulacaceae

Portulacaria afra or Porkbush is a popular succulent garden plant in use around the world and is often used for bonsai. It has now been shown to be effective...

14 / 01 / 2002 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Portulacaria armiana

Flower stalk
Common names: Whipstick-porkbush, large-leafed spekboom (Eng.); grootblaar-spekboom, sweepstok spekboom (Afr.)
Family: Portulacaceae

Portulacaria armiana is a large succulent-leafed shrub bearing grey-green leaves and long perennial whipstick-like branches with sprays of soft white flowers....

28 / 01 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Portulacaria carrissoana

Portulacaria carrissoana, Sierra Chamalinde, southwestern Angola
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
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Portulacaria fruticulosa

Portulacaria fruticulosa in flower
Common names: rose porkbush (Eng.), suikerkanna, roos-wolftoon (Afr.)
Family: Didiereaceae

Portulacaria fruticulosa is an ascending, much-branched shrub about 700 mm tall, with slender reddish-brown branches less than 1 mm in diameter at the...

27 / 11 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Portulacaria longipedunculata

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
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Portulacaria namaquensis

Illustration by Marieta Visagie
Common names: Namaqua porkbush (Eng.), wolftoon, Namakwariem, Namakwaspekboom (Afr.)
Family: Didiereaceae

Portulacaria namaquensis is an ascending, slow-growing shrub with pale creamy to yellowish or greyish, pencil-thin stems bearing many very short spur-branches...

23 / 10 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Portulacaria pygmaea

Portulacaria pygmaea
Common names: pygmy porkbush, dwarf porkbush (Eng.); dwergspekboom (Afr.)
Family: Didiereaceae

The pygmy porkbush is a shrublet with a tuberous, succulent base (caudex), small, grey-green, succulent leaves and small, light purplish, inconspicuous...

14 / 08 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pouzolzia mixta

Leaves of Pouzolzia mixta
Common names: soap-nettle (Eng.); seepnetel, wildebraam (Afr.); isikukuku (IsiNdebele); nthadzwa (Setswana); muthanzwa, murovhadembe (Tshivenda); nthadzwa (Xitsonga
Family: Urticaceae

Pouzolzia mixta is a multi-stemmed shrub with conspicuously bicoloured (two coloured) leaves which are spirally arranged with smooth margins....

02 / 09 / 2013 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG
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Prenia vanrensburgii

Prenia vanrensburgii
Common names: Cape spinach, sea pumpkin (Eng.); seepampoen, strandspinasie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A fast-growing, short-lived perennial succulent, endemic to the sunny, windy, littoral seafront or shoreline zone in the coastal parts of the eastern part...

29 / 07 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Prionium serratum

Palmiet at Harold Porter NBG
Common names: palmiet (Eng.); palmiet, palmito, wildepalmiet, wilde palmit (Afr.); iNtsikane (Xhosa)
Family: Juncaceae

Palmiet is a robust shrub that plays an important role in mostly the Western Cape river ecology. This water-loving shrub is renowned for its practical...

05 / 09 / 2005 | Phakamani Xaba | Harold Porter NBG
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Protea amplexicaulis

Protea amplexicaulis
Common names: clasping-leaf sugarbush (Eng.); aardroos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This sprawling protea shyly hides its velvety flowerheads under its unusual grey-green, pink-margined leaves....

31 / 08 / 2015 | Aimee Plutsick | Kirstenbosch NBG
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