Plants of the Week

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Encephalartos laevifolius

Encephalartos laevifolius
Common names: Kaapsehoop cycad (Eng.); Kaapsehoop-broodboom (Afr.); mayiphuku (Siswati)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos laevifolius is a tall, slender cycad with even, regular, smooth leafbases. It grows well in full sun and tolerates any soil type, provided...

13 / 08 / 2012 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos inopinus

E. inopinus (female):Photo: Nat Grobbelaar
Common names: Lydenburg cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

This unusual, attractive African cycad (comparable to the Mexican companion Dioon or a Cuban Microcycas) tolerates both sun and frost, making...

12 / 07 / 2004 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Encephalartos horridus

E.horridus. Photo Nat Grobbelaar
Common names: Eastern Cape blue cycad, blue cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

This cycad has been described as one of the most unusual of all the South African species. It has been very over-collected in the past, but sufficient...

07 / 04 / 2003 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Encephalartos hirsutus

Encephalartos hirsutus
Common names: Venda cycad (Eng.); Venda-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

The Venda cycad is an extremely rare and highly sought-after cycad, which is reportedly now extinct in the wild, as a result of illegal harvesting for...

12 / 06 / 2023 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos heenanii

Encephalartos heenanii growing in habitat. Photo Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency Threatened Plants Project
Common names: woolly cycad (Eng.), wollerige broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos heenanii is a medium-sized cycad with an erect stem that may become procumbent with age. This cycad is commonly known as the woolly cycad...

03 / 01 / 2022 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos ghellinckii

Encephalartos ghellinckii
Common names: Drakensberg cycad (Eng.); drakensbergbroodboom (Afr.); isidawu (Zul.); umguza (Xho.)
Family: Zamiaceae

The Drakensberg cycad should be not be confused with any other species because of its very narrow and exceptionally revolute leaflets, which are unique...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi

Cones emerging
Common names: white-haired cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Although Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi experiences harsh growing conditions in its natural habitat, it is very adaptable to different climatic conditions....

14 / 08 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos ferox

Encephalartos ferox
Common names: Maputaland cycad, Zululand cycad, Tongaland cycad (Eng.), Maputalandbroodboom, Tongalandbroodboom (Afr.), umthobane, uthobani (Zulu), chihanga (Thonga
Family: Zamiaceae

A cycad with dark green, arching, holly-like leaves and striking red cones....

25 / 02 / 2002 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos eugene-maraisii

Encephalartos eugene-maraisii
Common names: Waterberg cycad (Eng.); bergpalm, waterberg-broodboom (Afr.); mofaka (Sepedi)
Family: Zamiaceae

This is a medium-sized to large, bluish-green cycad, which is suited to cool subtropical and temperate regions....

28 / 07 / 2014 | K w Sepheka | Pretoria NBG
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Encephalartos dyerianus

Encephalartos dyerianus
Common names: Lillie’s Cycad, Lowveld Cycad (Eng.); Broodboom, Lillie-se-broodboom, Lillie-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos dyerianus is a medium-sized, bluish-green cycad with a very dense leaf canopy. This is an extremely rare cycad, and is endemic to South Africa,...

12 / 09 / 2022 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos dolomiticus

Encephalartos dolomiticus
Common names: Wolkberg cycad (Eng.); Wolkberg-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

The Wolkberg cycad is an extraordinarily beautiful species characterized by its striking blue colour. Adding to its attraction is the tendency to bear...

04 / 12 / 2023 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos cycadifolius

E. cycadifolius mature plant beginning to cone
Common names: Bedford cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos cycadifolius is a medium-sized, single to multi-stemmed  cycad that is both frost-tolerant and drought-resistant. It is an Eastern...

13 / 04 / 2009 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos cupidus

Plant growing in garden
Common names: Blyde River cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos cupidus is a very attractive, desirable, frost-hardy, dwarf, multi-stemmed cycad with its usually subterranean stem and blue green leaves,...

05 / 01 / 2015 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos cerinus

Encephalartos cerinus (Willem Froneman)
Common names: waxen cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos cerinus is a small cycad with a subterranean stem that may be partly exposed when growing among rocks. Leaves and cones are covered by a...

11 / 03 / 2019 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos caffer

Encephalartos caffer
Common names: Grahamstown cycad, Rhini cycad (Eng.); kafferkie (Afr.); uMphanga wase Rhini (Nguni)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos caffer is a relatively rare dwarf cycad in the sour grassveld of the Eastern Cape Province. It appears to be closely related to another grassland...

20 / 07 / 2009 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos arenarius

Encephalartos arenarius
Common names: Alexandria cycad, Kwa Qaba cycad (Eng.); uMphanga wakwa Qaba (Nguni)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos arenarius is a medium-sized, multi-stemmed, subterranean  plant about 1-2 m high. It grows well in semi-shade but can tolerate full...

08 / 09 / 2008 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos aplanatus

Encephalartos aplanatus cycad
Common names: Swazi north-east forest cycad (Eng.); Umphanga wehlathi (Zulu)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos aplanatus is a shade-loving cycad that closely resembles E. villosus. The leaflets of E. aplanatus, however, tend to be wider than those...

16 / 11 / 2009 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos altensteinii

Female cones of E. altensteinii
Common names: Eastern Cape cycad, Eastern Cape giant cycad (Eng.), oos-kaapse broodboom (Afr.), umphanga, umguza, isundu (Xhosa)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos altensteinii is a very ornamental garden plant and probably the most common of all the cycads in cultivation. This species is long-lived,...

08 / 11 / 2004 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos aemulans

Encephalartos aemulans
Common names: Ngotshe cycad (Eng.); ngotshe-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

An extremely rare cycad, which is endemic to South Africa, and known from a single mountain in the Vryheid District, in KwaZulu-Natal. Female and male...

16 / 09 / 2019 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Empodium veratrifolium

Star-shaped flower
Common names: West Coast star (Eng.); breëblaar sterretjie; Weskus sterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

The bright yellow West Coast star appears after the first good autumn rains, at a time when few other geophytes are in flower. It is easily grown in pots,...

09 / 10 / 2023 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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