Plants of the Week

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

Gerbera galpinii

Flowering in habitat
Common names: marsh gerbera
Family: Asteraceae

Most Gerberas occur in grasslands, a few species are found in forests, while this one is unusual in that it is found in marshy places. Wherever they are...

14 / 10 / 2013 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gerbera jamesonii

Gerbera jamesonii
Common names: Barberton daisy, gerbera daisy (E) ; rooigousblom (A)
Family: Asteraceae

This beautiful daisy is a deservedly popular garden plant throughout the world and is one of the parents of the many showy Gerbera hybrids seen in florist...

07 / 10 / 2002 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gerbera ambigua

Gerbera ambigua
Common names: pink and white gerbera (E), botterblom, Griekwateebossie (A), moarubetso (SS), ucabazane (Z).
Family: Asteraceae

...

29 / 05 / 2006 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gerbera aurantiaca

Gerbera aurantiaca
Common names: Hilton daisy
Family: Asteraceae

The Hilton daisy is a strikingly beautiful grassland plant that occurs around Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal. The species is under considerable threat...

01 / 09 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gerbera viridifolia

A pale form of G.viridifolia
Common names: blushing barberton daisy (Eng.); griquateebossie (Afr.); iyeza lamazi (isiXhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

Gerbera viridifolia produces beautiful cream, mauve or purple daisies for most of the year. It is one of the parents of today's popular florist Gerbera...

22 / 05 / 2006 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gethyllis

Fruit of G.grandiflora. Image:C.Paterson-Jones
Common names: kukumakranka (Eng.); koekoemakranka, bramakranka (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Gethyllis, a genus of the family Amaryllidaceae, has such unusual foliage, flowers and fruits that it ranks as one of the most fascinating groups of bulbous...

19 / 07 / 2004 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium
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Gibbaeum

Gibbaeum dispar
Common names: mimicry plants (Eng.); volstruistone (ostrich toes), duimpie-snuif (thumb snuff), papegaaibek (parrot beak), vinger-en-duim (finger and thumb), visbek
Family: Mesembryanthemaceae

Gibbaeums are bizarre succulents that grow hidden amongst pebbles; the entire genus is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region, occurring only in the arid...

15 / 06 / 2009 | D Raimondo | TSP
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Gladiolus aureus

Gladiolus aureus
Common names: golden gladiolus
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus aureus is a delicate, cormous plant, producing striking golden-yellow blooms in late winter and spring. Among South Africa’s many critically...

01 / 04 / 2019 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus alatus

Gladiolus alatus
Common names: common kalkoentjie, turkey-wattle flower (Eng.); kalkoentjie, kipkippies (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus alatus is a very brightly coloured plant and will catch your eye wherever you walk, with its showy orange, yellow and green flowers. It populates...

21 / 05 / 2012 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Gladiolus carmineus

Gladiolus carmineus flower
Common names: cliff gladiolus, Hermanus gladiolus
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus carmineus is a striking geophyte with intensely red-pink flowers....

02 / 05 / 2011 | M Treurnicht | CREW
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Gladiolus caryophyllaceus

Flowers of G.caryophyllaceus
Common names: Pink Afrikander (Eng.); Pienkafrikaner, Sandveldlelie, Sandpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus caryophyllaceus is a robust and beautiful pink-flowered cormous plant with a heady perfume reminiscent of cloves and carnations. It makes...

07 / 10 / 2013 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus dalenii

Gladiolus dalenii flowers
Common names: African gladiolus, parrot lily, sword lily (Eng.); papegaaigladiolus, wildeswaardlelie (Afr.); khahla-e-kholo (Sesotho); sidvwana (siSwati); isidwi es
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus dalenii and other Gladiolus species are popular garden plants, cultivated in Europe for more than 250 years and renowned for their striking,...

18 / 04 / 2011 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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Gladiolus guthriei

Gladiolus guthriei
Common names: fragrant afrikaner, rock afrikaner (Eng.); kaneelpypie, aandblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus guthriei is a beautiful and highly fragrant species, making it a very worthy addition to the winter garden or container collection.South...

04 / 06 / 2012 | Victoria Wilman | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Gladiolus oppositiflorus

Gladiolus oppositiflorus
Common names: Transkei gladiolus, salmon gladiolus
Family: Iridaceae

Gladioli are popular garden plants, cultivated in Europe for more than 250 years and renowned for their striking, colourful flowers. But did you know that...

15 / 05 / 2006 | Lize Agenbag | Pretoria NBG
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Gloriosa superba

Gloriosa superba in flower
Common names: flame lily, climbing lily, Turk’s cap, superb lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily (Eng.); vlamlelie, boslelie, geelboslelie, rooiboslelie (Afr.); ihlamv
Family: Colchicaceae

Gloriosa superba is a striking climber with unusual and beautiful, red and yellow, flame-like flowers in summer; it is suitable for shade or sun, and is...

15 / 06 / 2015 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Glottiphyllum regium

Glottiphyllum regium flower
Common names: tongue-leaved mesemb (Eng.); tongblaarvygie, skilpadkos (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Glottiphyllum regium is a hardy, clump-forming succulent that produces masses of showy, large, yellow flowers from mid-winter until early summer....

22 / 03 / 2010 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Gnidia squarrosa

Gnidia squarrosa
Common names: saffron bush (Eng.); aandbossie, juffertjie-roer-by-die nag (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia squarrosa has attractive, multicoloured winter-spring flowers that will fill your garden with perfume in the evenings....

02 / 08 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gomphocarpus cancellatus

Flowerheads of G. cancellatus
Common names: wild cotton (Eng.); bergmelkbos, bergtontelbos, dermhout, gansiesbos, katoenbos, melkbos, regopmelkbos (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus cancellatus, wild cotton, is an elegant bush, which in the sterile state resembles a protea bush. The flowers are accumulated in dense...

14 / 04 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Gomphocarpus fruticosus

Fruit and leaves
Common names: milkweed, wild cotton (Eng.); gansie, melkbos (Afr.); Lebegane (Sotho); Umsinga-lwesalukazi (Zulu)
Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus fruticosus is a herbaceous, perennial, spindly shrub, often with watery or milky sap. It has ovoid fruits (follicles) of a clear, pale green...

28 / 11 / 2005 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG
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Gomphocarpus physocarpus

Gomphocarpus physocarpus fruits
Common names: balloon milkweed, balloon wild cotton, hairy balls, bindweed (Eng.); balmelkbossie, balbossie, wilde kapok (Afr.); umbababa, umbemiso, umangwazane, um
Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus physocarpus has striking yellowish, ball-like fruits and is an excellent butterfly plant, but it is poisonous if ingested; so keep it...

04 / 01 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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