Plants of the Week

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E.g., 30/12/2024
E.g., 30/12/2024

Gymnanthemum corymbosum

Gymnanthemum corymbosum
Common names: mountain bitter-tea, mountain vernonia (Eng.); uhlunguhlungu (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

Gymnanthemum corymbosum is an attractive, fast-growing shrub, with interesting purple and white, daisy flowers in late summer and autumn, followed by fluffy...

03 / 07 / 2017 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
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Aloe rouxii

Aloe rouxii
Common names: Low's Creek grass aloe (Eng.); grasaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe rouxii is a recently named, small grass aloe, only known from the Lows Creek region, near Barberton (Mpumalanga, South Africa), where it grows on...

03 / 07 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus ecklonii

Gladiolus ecklonii (Peter Warren)
Common names: sheathed gladiolus (Eng.); kxahla, litsoantsoang, makhabebe (SS); sidvwana (Sw)
Family: Iridaceae

A cormous plant with beautiful, variously spotted, pink, red or purple flowers on a white background, in summer....

26 / 06 / 2017 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Liparia parva

Liparia parva
Common names: small mountain dahlia, yellow nodding-head (Eng.); kleinbergdahlia, kleingeelkoppie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

This elusive shrublet is a localized species with a restricted natural habitat. Not too many people have seen this dainty plant, which makes it extremely...

26 / 06 / 2017 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cichorium intybus

Cichorium intybus
Common names: blue dandelion, chicory (Eng.); sigorei (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Most people will only admire this pretty, blue-flowered weed along roads and in abandoned fields and not know its other useful properties. Although mostly...

19 / 06 / 2017 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Melianthus major

Melianthus major
Common names: honey flower, melianthus, giant honey flower, touch-me-not (Eng.); kruidjie-roer-my-nie, heuningblom, klappers, krikkiebos (Afr.); ubuhlungubemamba, u
Family: Melianthaceae

With its decorative blue-green leaves and tall, dark rusty-red flower heads, this is a striking plant. On a sunny day the birds feast on the nectar dripping...

19 / 06 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adenium swazicum

Adenium swazicum (Karin van der Walt)
Common names: summer impala lily, Swazi lily (Eng.); somerimpalalelie, Swazi-lelie (Afr.); sisila-sempala (SiSwati)
Family: Apocynaceae

A dwarf, succulent shrub with pretty, lily-like, pink flowers borne on thick branches from late summer to autumn; a good rockery plant and a useful medicinal...

12 / 06 / 2017 | Mufhati Bulannga | Lowveld NBG
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Ursinia nana

Ursinia nana
Common names: small ursinia, yellow margaret (Eng.); kleinbergmargriet, geelmagriet (Afr.); sehalikane (SS)
Family: Asteraceae

An attractive, spreading, annual herb with yellow flowers, which blooms in the spring to early summer period. With its spreading habit and fine foliage,...

12 / 06 / 2017 | Ramadimetja Junia Maleka | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Breonadia salicina

Breonadia salicina
Common names: matumi, African teak, wild-oleander, Transvaal teak (Eng.); mingerhout, watermatoemie, waterboekenhout, basterkiaat (Afr.); mohlomê (Northern Sotho);
Family: Rubiaceae

A handsome, tall, evergreen tree, suitable for big gardens and parks, with a straight trunk and a dense, narrow crown, known to be an excellent wood for...

05 / 06 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Melianthus villosus

Melianthus villosus
Common names: maroon honey flower, Drakensberg honey flower (Eng.); Drakensbergse kruidjie-roer-my-nie (Afr.); ibhonya (Zulu)
Family: Melianthaceae

A multi-stemmed, soft, evergreen shrub, with showy, serrated leaves that provide a beautiful tropical effect in the garden....

05 / 06 / 2017 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Aloe reynoldsii

Aloe reynoldsii (Ernst van Jaarsveld)
Common names: yellow spineless aloe, Mbashe aloe
Family: Asphodelaceae

...

29 / 05 / 2017 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG
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Pelargonium vanderwaltii

Pelargonium vanderwaltii
Common names: Otjihipa pelargonium (Eng.); Otjihipa malva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

A rare, cliff-dwelling perennial, known only from sheer, south-facing cliffs of the Otjihipa Mountains in the Kaokoveld of northern Namibia. It is a cliff-squatter,...

29 / 05 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe vanbalenii

Aloe vanbalenii
Common names: van balen's aloe, crawling octopus (Eng.); van-balen-se-aalwyn (Afr.); icenalamatshe, icenandhlovu (isiZulu); lihala (siSwati)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This is one of the most beautiful and distinctive aloes, with its long, twisted and recurved leaves resembling an octopus....

22 / 05 / 2017 | Anelisiwe Nocwanya | Karoo Desert NBG
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Diastella divaricata subsp. montana

Diastella divaricata subsp. montana
Common names: mountain silkypuff
Family: Proteaceae

...

22 / 05 / 2017 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Heteropogon contortus

Heteropogon contortus (L.Fish).
Common names: tanglehead, spear grass (Eng.); pylgras, assegaaigras (Afr.); isitupe (IsiZulu); makurwane (Setswana); selokana, seloka (Sesotho)
Family: Poaceae

A hardy grass that is very attractive and palatable in the early vegetative stages, but becomes less attractive and unpalatable as it matures....

15 / 05 / 2017 | Cynthia Mikateko Baloyi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Indigofera langebergensis

Indigofera langebergensis
Common names: Langeberg indigo (Eng.); Langebergseverfbos (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

...

15 / 05 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cirsium vulgare

Cirsium vulgare
Common names: Scottish thistle, spear thistle (Eng.); skotse dissel (Afr.); hlaba (Sesotho); ntsoa-ntsane (Setswana)
Family: Asteraceae

Cirsium vulgare is mostly regarded as a weed or undesirable plant. However, the plants are very attractive and offer lots of rewards for butterflies and...

08 / 05 / 2017 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ornithogalum conicum

Ornithogalum conicum (Graham Duncan)
Common names: chincherinchee, pure white star-of-Bethlehem (Eng.); tjienkerintjee, viooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A stunning, early summer-flowering, bulbous plant, with bright white flowers, with prominent yellow centres, in dense heads; a good pot plant, rockery...

08 / 05 / 2017 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Macowania revoluta

Macowania revoluta (Nicola Bergh)
Common names: Amathole macowania
Family: Asteraceae

Macowania revoluta is the particular species to which the defining features of the genus Macowania is formally attached. This easily distinguished shrub...

01 / 05 / 2017 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Diastella divaricata subsp. divaricata

Diastella divaricata subsp. divaricata
Common names: Peninsula silkypuff
Family: Proteaceae

A sprawling, creeping, rounded shrub dotted with small, pink inflorescences, that gives the best year-round display in a fynbos garden, and is a champion...

01 / 05 / 2017 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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