Plants of the Week

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E.g., 08/10/2024
E.g., 08/10/2024

Argyroderma theartii

Argyroderma theartii
Common names: baby-toes (Eng.); bababoudjies (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Argyroderma theartii is a beautiful, dwarf, cluster-forming, winter growing succulent plant, bearing striking, bright purple-pink flowers during the...

28 / 03 / 2005 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Argyrolobium angustissimum

Argyrolobium angustissimum
Common names: Paarl Fire Pea
Family: Fabaceae

Argyrolobium angustissimum is an unassuming Cape peaflower which until relatively recently had been presumed possibly extinct.Figure 1. Argyrolobium angustissimum...

27 / 08 / 2018 | Randall Josephs | Compton Herbarium
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Argyrolobium lunare

Argyrolobium lunare
Common names: None
Family: Fabaceae

At first glance it looks as if there are two similar kinds of plant growing together. This is because most of the flowers are bright yellow and others...

23 / 07 / 2012 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Argyrolobium robustum

Argyrolobium robustum
Common names: liquorice bean (Eng.), soethoutbossie (Afr.), umuzimuka (Zul.)
Family: Fabaceae

Argyrolobium robustum is an attractive plant with many-flowered, yellow flower-heads that are produced from spring to early summer; common in grasslands...

31 / 01 / 2022 | Thembeka Malwane | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Argyrolobium rupestre subsp. rupestre

Argyrolobium rupestre
Common names: none
Family: Fabaceae

A small, slender-stemmed, few-flowered, shortly ascending plant, that flourishes in spring and summer. It is a flowering plant in the legume family (Fabaceae),...

08 / 04 / 2019 | Robetta Kandawire | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Argyrolobium tomentosum

Argyrolobium tomentosum
Common names: velvety yellow bush pea (Eng.); umadlozana, umlomomnandi (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

A scrambling, evergreen shrub with yellow flowers in spring and summer; it is a pretty garden plant and is one of South Africa’s magical medicinal...

19 / 09 / 2016 | Bulannga Mufhati | Lowveld NBG
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Aristea biflora

Aristea biflora
Common names: windowed aristea
Family: Iridaceae

Aristea biflora is a member of the family Iridaceae and an inhabitant the south-western Cape. It is characterized by attractive violet to purple flowers...

06 / 04 / 2009 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Aristea capitata

Aristea capitata
Common names: blue sceptre (Eng.); blousuurkanol (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

The Cape is well known for its wealth of beautiful bulbs. If you go walking on Lion's Head above Cape Town in early summer, one of the most striking...

01 / 11 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aristea ecklonii

Flowers
Common names: blue stars (Eng.); blousterre (Afr.); umhushuza (IsiZulu)
Family: Iridaceae

Aristea ecklonii is an indigenous, evergreen perennial with attractive, blue, star-like flowers that make quite a show in early summer and late spring....

01 / 10 / 2012 | Sthembile Zondi | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Aristea grandis

Aristea grandis
Common names: large blue-stars, giant blue-eyed grass (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

A beautiful, robust, grass-like plant with striking deep blue flowers that grow in clusters up tall stems, and broad, pale green leaves. It is a member...

09 / 09 / 2024 | Sefularo Ramaboea | National Zoological Gardens
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Aristea spiralis

A clump of Aristea spiralis
Common names: star-eyed aristea, pale capeblue (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

Clumps of Aristea spiralis make a striking display, the large white to pale blue flowers with purple centres are very attractive and last throughout the...

11 / 12 / 2023 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Arrowsmithia styphelioides

Flowering plant of A. styphelioides
Common names: There are no common names in use for this species.
Family: Asteraceae

This rare and endemic shrublet is a member of the daisy family and occurs only in a restricted area in the Eastern Cape Province....

14 / 02 / 2011 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium
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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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Asclepias

Asclepias woodii (Photo A Shuttleworth)
Common names: milkweed (Eng.); melkbos (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Asclepias (as most of the taxa in the family Apocynaceae in the broad sense, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), are an interesting group...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Asclepias albens

Asclepias albens
Common names: cartwheels (Eng.); idoyi, ishongwe (Zulu); tshalale (Venda)
Family: Apocynaceae

This is the most widespread species of Asclepias in South Africa....

13 / 12 / 2004 | E T Rampho | Pretoria NBG
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Asclepias bicuspis

Critically Endangered Asclepias bicuspis
Common names: none known
Family: Apocynaceae

Thought to be extinct and known from only six collections, two of which were collected over a hundred years ago, Asclepias bicuspis, was unexpectedly rediscovered...

07 / 03 / 2011 | Suvarna Parbhoo | CREW
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Asclepias genus

Asclepias woodii (Photo A Shuttleworth)
Common names: milkweed (Eng.); melkbos (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Asclepias (as most of the taxa in the family Apocynaceae in the broad sense, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), are an interesting group...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Askidiosperma andreaeanum

Askidiosperma andreaeanum
Common names: paper-sheath restio
Family: Restionaceae

A very aesthetically pleasing, compact, tufted plant, with a rounded growth form, attractive smooth stems and golden spathes....

31 / 12 / 2018 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aspalathus

Aspalathus  callosa
Family: Fabaceae

Aspalathus, the genus to which the rooibos tea plant belongs, is the largest member of the pea family endemic to South Africa....

22 / 08 / 2005 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
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Aspalathus linearis

Bush in flower
Common names: rooibos tea (Eng.), rooibostee, bossietee (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Aspalathus linearis, the source of rooibos tea, is a shrub found in the western mountainous parts of the Western Cape. Rooibos tea is a most popular drink...

25 / 06 / 2007 | Marcini Govender | National Herbarium Pretoria
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