Plants of the Week

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

Brachylaena elliptica

Brachylaena elliptica flowers are visited by bees (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: bitterleaf, bitterleaved silver-oak, fire-sticks (Eng.); bitterblaar, suurbos (Afr); isiduli; isagqeba, umphahla (IsiXhosa); isiduli-ehlathi, igqeba-e
Family: Asteraceae

This is an attractive small tree or large shrub with interesting aromatic, dark green foliage with greyish silver undersides....

19 / 12 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe succotrina

Aloe succotrina, growing in Kirstenbosch
Common names: fynbos aloe, mountain aloe (Eng.); bergaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Growing high up on the cliff faces and rocky outcrops in the mountains of the Western Cape, this is one of only a few fynbos aloes. It is an attractive...

19 / 12 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Harold Porter NBG
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Barleria saxatilis

Barleria saxatilis, light mauve flowers with a yellow corolla tube
Common names: rock bush violet (Eng.); rotsbosviooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

A late summer, early autumn splash of colour for a sunny garden.   ...

12 / 12 / 2016 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Protea longifolia

Protea longifolia
Common names: long-leaf sugarbush, long-leaf protea (Eng.); langblaarsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

A fast-growing protea, which is easily recognized by its extended central mass of flowers with black-bearded tips, and various flower colours of yellow-green,...

12 / 12 / 2016 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Searsia burchellii

Searsia burchellii, in fruit
Common names: Karoo kunibush (Eng.); karookoeniebos (Afr.); mokhoamphiri, tshilabele (Sesotho); motshôtlhô (Tswana)
Family: Anacardiaceae

A much-branched, evergreen shrub or small tree with small, glossy, waxy leaves, common in the dry karroid regions of southern Africa, that is frost hardy...

05 / 12 / 2016 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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Gymnanthemum myrianthum

Gymnanthemum myrianthum flower head
Common names: blue bitter-tea, eared bitter-tea, blue vernonia, eared vernonia, poison tree-vernonia, wild lilac (Eng.); bloubittertee, bosbloutee (Afr.); uhluhlung
Family: Asteraceae

An unusual, striking, robust shrub or small tree that is suddenly beautiful when in flower in late autumn, with eye-catching clumps of mauve to white to...

05 / 12 / 2016 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria minima

Ledebouria minima
Common names: dwarf African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A dwarf ledebouria, with erect to spreading, grass-like leaves and very small bulbs, usually locally abundant, where it occurs in moist soil in grassland;...

28 / 11 / 2016 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Watsonia strictiflora

Watsonia strictiflora
Common names: Klipheuwel watsonia (Eng.); Klipheuwel lakpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia strictiflora is a striking, rose-pink-flowered, dwarf species with peculiar perianth tubes that are straight and constricted below and strongly...

28 / 11 / 2016 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Alepidea natalensis

Alepidea natalensis
Common names: Natal star flower
Family: Apiaceae

A dainty perennial with starry white flowers on long stalks, from the grasslands of the Drakensberg....

21 / 11 / 2016 | Lungani Mlaba | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Vachellia kosiensis

Vachellia kosiensis (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: dune thorn (Eng.); duinesoetdoring (Afr.); umunga (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a quick-growing, handsome tree that attracts many birds, bees and other insects and even bushbabies to the garden; it is also a useful barrier...

21 / 11 / 2016 | Geoff Nichols | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polhillia ignota

Polhillia ignota
Common names: due to the rarity of this species, there are no common names recorded for it.
Family: Fabaceae

Only known from two records made over 80 years ago, this lost species was recently rediscovered by the Custodians of Rare and Endangered Wildflowers (CREW)....

14 / 11 / 2016 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Moraea insolens

Moraea insolens
Common names: Overberg red-moraea (Eng.); Overbergse rooi-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Moraea insolens is a critically endangered, cormous plant, with dazzling orange-red or rarely white- or cream-coloured, salver-shaped blooms, with prominent,...

14 / 11 / 2016 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloiampelos juddii

Aloiampelos juddii
Common names: Koudeberg aloe (Eng.); Baardskeerdersbosvuurpylaalwyn, (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloiampelos juddii is a welcome addition to the Cape flora and in particular the assemblage of Fynbos aloes that are found in the mountainous and coastal...

07 / 11 / 2016 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Ficus glumosa

Ficus glumosa
Common names: hairy rock fig, mountain rock fig (Eng.); harige rotsvy, berg-rotsvy (Afr.); umthombe (Xhosa); inkokhokho, umdenda omnyama, umnyaxa (Zulu); inkiwane (
Family: Moraceae

An ideal tree for planting in water scarce areas; it will provide browsing and food to a number of animals, as well as a habitat for a large range of bird...

07 / 11 / 2016 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula capitella

leaves mature from lime-green to bright red
Common names: red flames (Eng.); aanteelrosie (Afr.); bohobe babadisana (Sesotho)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula capitella is a stunning succulent that looks fantastic in rockeries and landscape gardens. It is used ornamentally to add a permanent colour in...

31 / 10 / 2016 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Pretoria NBG
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Dimorphotheca tragus

Dimorphotheca tragus
Common names: ox-eye daisy, Cape marigold, Namaqualand daisy, African daisy (Eng.); jakkalsbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A perennial herb, with thinly scattered, toothed leaves and bright daisy flowers, which create an attractive sight in spring....

31 / 10 / 2016 | Ramadimetja Junia Maleka | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Commelina benghalensis

Commelina benghalesis (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Benghal dayflower, tropical spiderwort, Benghal wandering Jew (Eng.); blouselblommetjie (Afr.); lala-tau, khopo-e-nyenyane, khotsoana (Sesotho); uhlot
Family: Commelinaceae

Commelina benghalesis is a common, widespread weed found throughout southern Africa, tropical Africa and Asia and it is difficult to eradicate in cultivated...

24 / 10 / 2016 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Protea cryophila

Protea cryophila
Common names: snow protea, snowball protea (Eng.); sneeuprotea, sneeublom (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea cryophila is a sprawling, densely tufted shrub with attractive pink and white flowerheads and leathery, ascending, inward-folded leaves. It is confined...

24 / 10 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna euphorbioides

Othonna euphorbioides (Nick Helme)
Common names: spiny othonna (Eng.); doringkers (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A thorny, yet charming, mound-forming species of Othonna with striking yellow flowers to brighten your garden in the cold winter days....

17 / 10 / 2016 | Refilwe Kolokoto | Compton Herbarium
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Cannomois grandis

Cannomois grandis, female plant
Common names: giant river-reed, large bell reed, grand Cape-reed, rekoala, pokers (Eng.); bergbamboes, besemriet, besemgoed, olifantsriet, perdehoef, assegaai (Afr.
Family: Restionaceae

...

17 / 10 / 2016 | Anthony Hitchcock | Compton Herbarium
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