Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/12/2024
E.g., 03/12/2024

Pyrrosia

Pyrrosia africana
Common names: felt ferns
Family: Polypodiaceae

Pyrrosia is a genus of mostly epiphytic and simple-leaved ferns....

02 / 05 / 2005 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium
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Pelargonium hispidum

Pelargonium hispidum
Common names: hispid pelargonium (Eng); grofharig (Afri.)
Family: Geraniaceae

This summer flowering pelargonium has bristly leaves, hence its name....

27 / 04 / 2009 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium alternans

Plant in flower
Common names: blomkoolmalva, koolmalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

The compact growth of the blomkoolmalva makes it an ideal specimen for a bonsai....

21 / 07 / 2014 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Peltophorum africanum

Peltophorum africanum in Kirstenbosch
Common names: Weeping Wattle, African Black Wattle, African Blackwood, African Wattle (E), Boerboon, Boerboontjie, Dopperkehatenhout, Dopperkiaat, Kajatenhout, Rooi
Family: Fabaceae

A semi-deciduous tree with acacia-like foliage and showy yellow flowers, it's also an excellent tree for bee-keepers....

01 / 01 / 2001 | Y Reynolds | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ptaeroxylon obliquum

Ptaeroxylon obliquum. Photo: Pitta Joffe
Common names: Sneezewood, Nieshout, umThathi (Xhosa
Family: Rutaceae

Ptaeroxylon (pronounced 'teroxillon') is a direct Greek translation meaning sneeze and wood; obliquum refers to the oblique leaflets. Umtata in...

27 / 07 / 2001 | Robert Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pterocarpus rotundifolius

Pterocarpus rotundifolius
Common names: Muhataha (Tshivenda), round-leaved bloodwood (Eng.), dopperkiaat (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Flowers of Pterocarpus rotundifolius are strongly honey-scented. Bee-keepers like to plant this tree as a good source of nectar and food for bees....

03 / 03 / 2003 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Pretoria NBG
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Pteronia stricta

Plant in flower
Common names: kaatjiegert, kaatjiegertbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Pteronia stricta is an upright shrub with showy yellow flower heads that appear almost throughout the year....

06 / 10 / 2014 | Hannelie Snyman | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Petalacte coronata

Leaves and flowers of Petalacte coronata
Common names: paper flower (Eng.); wildesewejaartjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Petalacte coronata produces white flower heads in clusters from June to November. The distribution of the plant seems to influence the length of flowering....

10 / 11 / 2014 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG
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Pelargonium album

Plant in flower
Common names: Pilgrim's Rest Pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

This is a striking plant with light green, fragrant foliage, suitable for the shady mixed border....

08 / 12 / 2014 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Phragmites australis

Phragmitesaustralis in flower
Common names: commom reed; fluitjiesriet (Afr.); lehlaka (SeSotho.); umHlanga (isiZulu.); lutanga (Tshivenda.)
Family: Poaceae

Phragmites australia is a  cosmopolitan perennial grass/reed with grey-green leaves and a light brown to purple inflorescence and the flowers are...

12 / 01 / 2015 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pavonia praemorsa

Flowers
Common names: yellow mallow
Family: Malvaceae

Year-round, pretty lemon-yellow hibiscus-like flowers, that each only last for a day, on a low, maintenance hardy, indigenous shrub, with lots of potential...

06 / 04 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pauridia aquatica

Common names: Cape star (Eng.); sterretjie, vleiblommetjie, vlei-uintjie, watersterblom, watersterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

Pauridia aquatica is a small geophytic plant suitable for water gardens and wetlands. Its white, star-shaped flowers with bright yellow centres, make a...

04 / 05 / 2015 | Victoria Wilman | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Protea amplexicaulis

Protea amplexicaulis
Common names: clasping-leaf sugarbush (Eng.); aardroos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This sprawling protea shyly hides its velvety flowerheads under its unusual grey-green, pink-margined leaves....

31 / 08 / 2015 | Aimee Plutsick | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Polyxena corymbosa

This plant is now known as Lachenalia corymbosa...

01 / 03 / 2003 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea aristata

Protea aristata, flowerhead.
Common names: Ladismith sugarbush (Eng.); klein-den-suikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea aristata would surely be among the five best-known South African proteas, even though it had a rather late documented discovery in the 1920s. It...

25 / 01 / 2016 | Megan Blatchford | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea mundii

Protea mundii, flowerhead
Common names: forest sugarbush, white protea (Eng.); witsuikerbos, boswitsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Although not as eye-catching as the glorious king protea (Protea cynaroides), Protea mundii has a pronounced and unusual charm to it that will add value...

08 / 02 / 2016 | Megan Blatchford | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium setulosum

Pelargonium setulosum flower, with peculiar, basal nectar spots on the two upper petals (Jeff Shapiro, iSpot)
Common names: bristle-leaf pelargonium, bristle-leaf stork’s-bill (Eng.); malva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

A beautiful tufted pelargonium from the Western Cape Province, not well known in cultivation but it makes an attractive potplant and is well-suited to...

07 / 03 / 2016 | Marianne le Roux | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pentzia dentata

Pentzia dentata
Common names: greater skaapkaroo, duck's-foot skaapkaroo (Eng.) grootskaapkaroo, eendepootkaroo (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A wonderful water-wise, aromatic shrub with soft, grey foliage and clusters of yellow inflorescences, from spring to summer....

21 / 03 / 2016 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea grandiceps

Protea grandiceps
Common names: red sugarbush, red protea (Eng.); rooisuikerbos, rooisuikerkan (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This is a very slow growing fynbos shrub that produces excellent, long lasting, red flowerheads, beautiful for garden display and as a cut flower, and...

08 / 05 / 2016 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Peucedanum polyactinum

This plant is now called Notobubon capense....

11 / 05 / 2016 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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