Plants of the Week

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E.g., 01/12/2024
E.g., 01/12/2024

Cyperus papyrus

Young culms of Cyperus papyrus
Common names: papyrus (Eng.); papirus (Afr.); the bulrush of the Bible
Family: Cyperaceae

Cyperus papyrus is a stately aquatic member of the sedge family. The plants are easily cultivated and suitable for medium to large water features, especially...

24 / 05 / 2004 | Clare Archer | Pretoria NBG
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Aloe arborescens

Common names: krantz aloe (English), kransaalwyn (Afrikaans), ikalene (Xhosa), inkalane or umhlabana (Zulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The krantz aloe is a valuable garden asset, it has large beautiful flowers, attractive foliage, decorative form, and it is easy to grow. It is also a 'must-have'...

24 / 05 / 2004 | Andrew Hankey | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium tongaense

Pelargonium tongaense
Common names: Tonga pelargonium (Eng.)
Family: Geraniaceae

Most adaptable in cultivation, the Tonga pelargonium, is a free flowering garden and container plant....

17 / 05 / 2004 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Iridaceae

Romulea sabulosa
Common names: Iris
Family: Iridaceae

This is a large family of deciduous or evergreen perennials, many with brightly coloured flowers, which is well represented in South Africa....

17 / 05 / 2004 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium
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Agapanthus africanus

Agapanthus africanus subsp. africanus
Common names: Cape agapanthus, fynbos agapanthus (Eng.); kleinbloulelei (Afr.)
Family: Agapanthaceae

Agapanthus are one of South Africa's best known garden plants and are grown in most countries in the world. Their strap-like leaves and striking blue...

17 / 05 / 2004 | Richard Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Nerine gibsonii

Nerine gibsonii
Common names: Gibson's nerine
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This attractive, autumn- and winter-flowering bulb from the Eastern Cape is one of twenty-five Nerine species, all of which are endemic to southern...

10 / 05 / 2004 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kirkia wilmsii

Kirkia wilmsii
Common names: mountain kirkia, wild pepper tree, mountain seringa (Eng.); bergsering, wildepeperboom (Afr.); Modumela (Northern Sotho)
Family: Kirkiaceae

This medium to large tree has a spreading, irregular canopy that presents a spectacular sight when in full, bright red autumn colours. Any gardener with...

10 / 05 / 2004 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Amaryllidaceae

Amaryllis belladonna: Photo C Paterson-Jones
Common names: amaryllis or daffodil family
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Consisting mostly of bulbous plants, this family occurs naturally throughout the tropics and warm temperate regions of the world. Many species have extravagantly...

10 / 05 / 2004 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium
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Kirkia acuminata

Kirkia acuminata trunk
Common names: white seringa (Eng.); witsering (Afr.); mvumayila (Tsonga); modumela (Tswana ); mubvumala (Venda)
Family: Kirkiaceae

This splendid tree does not yet enjoy the fame it deserves, but it is a good choice for those gardeners who prefer something different. It was selected...

03 / 05 / 2004 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ceropegia ampliata

Ceropegia ampliata
Common names: Bushman's Pipe (Eng.); Boesmanspyp (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Ceropegia are characterized by tubular flowers specially adapted for the temporary capture of insects for pollination purposes. The...

03 / 05 / 2004 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cadaba aphylla

Cadaba aphylla Photo © Rod Saunders
Common names: leafless cadaba, leafless wormbush, black storm, desert spray (Eng.); swartstorm, bobbejaanarm, bloustam, doubos, douwurmbos, gifhoutjie, rooistorm, s
Family: Brassicaceae

...

03 / 05 / 2004 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Nerine humilis

Nerine humilis
Common names: dwarf nerine (Eng.); seeroogblom, berglelie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Nerine humilis is a very floriferous, bulbous plant. The flower colour varies from almost white to deep pink, and the petals have distinctive,...

26 / 04 / 2004 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Berzelia albiflora

Berzelia albiflora
Common names: coffee-scented berzelia, coffee bush, white-flowered brunia (Eng.); knopbossie, fonteinbossie, stompies (Afr.)
Family: Bruniaceae

Whenever this beautiful shrub is placed on our specimen table, it is often greeted with surprise as if it has never been seen before. It is easy to overlook,...

26 / 04 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Asteraceae

Arctotis stoechadifolia
Common names: daisy family, sunflower family, thistle family (Eng.); madeliefie-familie, sonneblom-familie (Afr.) Class: Dicotyledoneae (Angiospermae) Order: Astera
Family: Asteraceae

This is probably the largest family of flowering plants, with more than 25 000 species world-wide, growing from sea-level to the highest mountain peaks....

26 / 04 / 2004 | Paul Herman | Pretoria NBG
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Brunia albiflora

See Berzelia albiflora...

24 / 04 / 2004 | | Pretoria NBG
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Melica decumbens

Melica decumbens
Common names: staggers grass (Eng.); dronkgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

Melica decumbens is a short grass producing many flowering stems with spikelets (flowers) that usually have dark purple glumes (bracts) that contrast beautifully...

19 / 04 / 2004 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Artemisia afra

Artemisia afra, attractive silvery fern-like foliage
Common names: wild wormwood, African wormwood (Eng.); wilde-als (Afr.); umhlonyane (isiXhosa); mhlonyane (isiZulu); lengana (Tswana); zengana (Southern Sotho)
Family: Asteraceae

Named after the Greek goddess Artemis, this soft aromatic shrub is one of the most popular medicinal plants in South Africa. Easy to grow, Artemisia afra...

19 / 04 / 2004 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloidendron ramosissimum

Bush in flower
Common names: maiden's quiver tree (Eng.); nooienskokerboom (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This aloe is without a doubt the most profusely branched of all aloes. Like its closest relative, Aloidendron dichotomum or quiver tree, it has a very...

19 / 04 / 2004 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Themeda triandra

Rooigras grasslands
Common names: red grass (Eng.); rooigras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

This is a lovely green to blue-green tufted grass that is often flushed with pink and turns red with age. Some forms have bright yellow culms (stems)....

12 / 04 / 2004 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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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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