Plants of the Week

Polytrichum commune

Common names: common hair cap moss

Family: Polytrichaceae

Polytrichum commune is one of the largest mosses in southern Africa and can grow up to 25 cm high. Its stiff, narrow leaves are spirally arranged at right...

15 / 08 / 2011 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria

Lobostemon montanus

Common names: mountain lobostemon (Eng.); agtdaegeneesbos (Afr.)

Family: Boraginaceae

Lobostemon montanus is a shrub from the Borage family with unusually large leaves for the genus, which are complemented by a cluster of pale blue...

15 / 08 / 2011 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Encephalartos princeps

Common names: Kei cycad (Eng.); keibroodboom (Afr.); umguza, umphanga (Xho.)

Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos princeps is a lovely blue-leaved cycad that responds well to full sun and tolerates any soil type, provided that the soil is well drained...

08 / 08 / 2011 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria

Nerine undulata

Common names: nerine (Eng.); seeroogblom, berglelie (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Nerine undulata is native to the Eastern Cape Province. It is almost evergreen and produces very dainty, soft pink, spider-like flowers which can give...

01 / 08 / 2011 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG

Lobostemon belliformis

Common names: Gouriqua lobostemon (Eng.); Gouriqua agtdaegeneesbos (Afr.)

Family: Boraginaceae

Lobostemon belliformis is an incredibly rare and fabulous shrub from the Borage family; it is spectacular in bloom with its clusters of red tubular...

01 / 08 / 2011 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Rauvolfia caffra

Common names: quinine tree (Eng.); kinaboom (Afr.); umJelo, umThundisa (isiXhosa); umHlambamanzi, umKhadluvungu (isiZulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

A fine, fast-growing tree for sheltered gardens, easily grown from seed and an unusually decorative tree for larger gardens and parks....

25 / 07 / 2011 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Eucomis schijffii

Common names: miniature eucomis

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Eucomis schijffii is an alpine bulb with a striking rosette of bluish-grey leaves and a short raceme of purplish-maroon, fetid blooms. It is frost-hardy...

25 / 07 / 2011 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Serruria fucifolia

Common names: northern spiderhead (Eng.); sandveldspinnekopbos (Afr.)

Family: Proteaceae

Serruria fucifolia is a charming medium-sized fynbos shrub. During late winter and early spring it is covered in sweetly-scented silver-pink flowers....

18 / 07 / 2011 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe komaggasensis

Common names: Komaggas coral aloe (Eng.); makaalwyn, streepaalwyn, gladdeblaaraalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

This aloe was previously known as Aloe striata subsp. komaggasensis. It is relatively new to science and not established at all in horticulture...

18 / 07 / 2011 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

Ledebouria genus

Common names: African hyacinth, ledebouria, common squill.

Family: Hyacinthaceae

The genus Ledebouria was described in 1821 by Roth, although the history of the genus dates back even further, with several authors placing it...

11 / 07 / 2011 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Lachenalia orchioides

Common names: (L. orchioides var. orchioides): wild hyacinth (Eng.), groenviooltjie (Afr.); (L. orchioides var. glaucina (Jacq.) W.F.Barker): blue wild hyacinth (E

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Large strikingly attractive flowers varying in colour through shades of blue, pink, lilac to bright yellow and green make this species an attractive container...

11 / 07 / 2011 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pelargonium reniforme

Common names: kidney-leaved pelargonium (Eng.); rooirabas (Afr.); iyeza lesikhali, ikubalo, umsongelo (isiXhosa)

Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium reniforme is an attractive showy plant with flower colours varying from pink to magenta....

04 / 07 / 2011 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Jubaeopsis caffra

Common names: Pondo coconut, Pondo palm (Eng.); Pondopalm (Afr.); ikomba (isiXhosa) National Tree List no. 27 in South Africa.

Family: Arecaceae

A South African palm whose nearest living relative grows in Chile (South America), sounds like fiction, but it is not. Here it is. ...

04 / 07 / 2011 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Geissorhiza purpureolutea

Common names: satin flower, wine-cup

Family: Iridaceae

Geissorhiza purpureolutea is a rare species with cream to yellow flowers with a dark brown to purple centre. It is suited to growing in pots....

27 / 06 / 2011 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW

Elegia cuspidata

Common names: blombiesie (Afr.)

Family: Restionaceae

At last, a restio that you will not struggle to identify! Elegia cuspidata has distinctive features and is suited for planting in a Cape Peninsula...

27 / 06 / 2011 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG

Leucospermum patersonii

Common names: silver-edge pincushion

Family: Proteaceae

The silver-edge pincushion is a large rounded shrub or small tree with broad green leaves giving it an appearance similar to Leucospermum conocarpodendron. It...

20 / 06 / 2011 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Avicennia marina

Common names: white mangrove (Eng.); witseebasboom (Afr.); mangal, towozi, txomahati (Xironga); isikhungathi (isiXhosa, isiZulu) - these from Van Wyk et al. (2011);

Family: Avicenniaceae

Every travel agent's idea of a tropical paradise involves white, palm-fringed beaches and "the murmur of summer seas" - but what are those...

20 / 06 / 2011 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Wurmbea marginata

Common names: Spider lily (Eng.), Swartkoppie (Afr.)

Family: Colchicaceae

...

13 / 06 / 2011 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Millettia stuhlmanni

Common names: panga panga, partridge wood (Eng.); panga-panga, patryshout (Afr.); muangaila (Venda); mpangapanga (Swahili)

Family: Fabaceae

Millettia stuhlmannii is a well known timber tree internationally exported for woodwork. Only one subpopulation of this species exists in South Africa...

13 / 06 / 2011 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Pelargonium crispum

Common names: lemon-scented pelargonium, crisped-leaf pelargonium

Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium crispum is ideal for any garden as it produces pretty pink flowers for most of the year....

06 / 06 / 2011 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

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