Plants of the Week

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E.g., 13/12/2024
E.g., 13/12/2024

Cymbopogon caesius

Cymbopogon caesius
Common names: common turpentine grass, broad-leaved turpentine grass (Eng.); lemoengras, buchugras (Afr.); iMbanjana (Ndebele); muWaa (Kalanga); Moshanyna-oa-marall
Family: Poaceae

Cymbopogon caesius is a densely tufted perennial grass, which has swollen lowest racemes (an unbranched inflorescence axis with pedicellate spikelets)...

22 / 06 / 2015 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cylindrophyllum comptonii

Cylindrophyllum comptonii
Common names: Little Karoo finger vygie (Eng.); vingervygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Cylindrophyllum comptonii is a tough, mat-forming, cushion-like, succulent plant and thrives in nutrient-poor soils. With its finger-like leaves, this...

25 / 03 / 2019 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cycnium racemosum

Cycnium racemosum
Common names: large pink ink plant, large mountain ink flower, large pink mushroom flower (Eng.); berginkplant (Afr.); injanga (isiXhosa); uhlabahlangane (isiZulu)
Family: Orobanchaceae

An attractive mountain plant found in grassland on rocky outcrops, with large fragrant pink flowers in summer to early winter. Flowers turn black when...

08 / 04 / 2024 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Cyclopia pubescens

Cyclopia pubescens
Common names: Algoa honeybush, fluffy honeybush (Eng.); Algoa-heuningtee, donsigheuningtee (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Cyclopia pubescens is a very attractive, yet highly threatened species, endemic to the extreme east of the Fynbos Biome. Its club-like clusters of vibrant...

20 / 09 / 2021 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Cyclopia meyeriana

Cyclopia meyeriana
Common names: Meyer honeybush tea (Eng.); woltee, heuningtee (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

A decorative fynbos shrub covered with masses of bright yellow flowers in spring, and one of the species that give us Honeybush Tea....

23 / 05 / 2016 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyclopia genistoides

Cyclopia genistoides
Common names: Honeybush tea, Heuningbos
Family: Fabaceae

Honeybush is well known in the Cape, not so much as a garden shrub, but as a herbal tea....

25 / 09 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyathula natalensis

Cyathula natalensis
Common names: Natal cyathula, KZN hookweed (Eng.); Natalserondeklits (Afr.); munamumuhulwane (Tshivenda); xinama, rinama (Xitsonga)
Family: Amaranthaceae

A creeping herb cherished as a love charm in South Africa, as well as southern Mozambique by the Tsonga people. This herb’s sticky touch, thanks...

08 / 07 / 2024 | Eunezia Sitoe | CREW
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Cyanotis speciosa

Cyanotis speciosa
Common names: doll’s powderpuff (Eng.), bloupoeierkwassie (Afr.), khopo, theepe-balingoana (seSotho), inkombo, ingonga, umakhothigobile, umakotigoyile, udabulamaf
Family: Commelinaceae

Cyanotis speciosa is a perennial ground cover that provides all-year-round colour with its exquisite powderpuff flowers that are either blue, pink or purple....

08 / 07 / 2024 | Itumeleng Machete | Pretoria NBG
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Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea

Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea
Common names: five fingers, yellow lady’s hand (Eng.); geelraaptol (Afr.)
Family: Tecophilaeaceae

Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea is a rewarding, long-lived cormous perennial that blooms reliably every year. ...

20 / 07 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cyanella hyacinthoides

Cyanella hyacinthoides
Common names: lady’s hand (Eng.); blouraaptol, dolraap, klipraap, raap, raapdol, raaptol, raaptoluintjie, raapuintjie, tolraap (Afr.)
Family: Tecophilaeaceae

...

10 / 08 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cyanella alba

Cyanella alba subsp. flavescens
Common names: white lady's-hand, white cyanella (Eng.); toe-toe-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Tecophilaeaceae

...

15 / 08 / 2022 | Sithandokuhle Wendy Ngcongo | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cussonia transvaalensis

Young plant of C. transvaalensis
Common names: grey cabbage tree (Eng.); vaal kiepersol (Afr.); motshetshe (Northern Sotho)
Family: Araliaceae

Cussonia transvaalensis is a striking, very useful tree as a focal point in the landscape, due to its strong architectural form; it may also be used...

03 / 10 / 2005 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Cussonia thyrsiflora

Flower heads in bud
Common names: Cape coast cabbage tree (Eng.); Kaapse kuskiepersol (Afr.)
Family: Araliaceae

This evergreen shrub or small tree is an ideal specimen to include in coastal gardens, as it is very hardy and well-adapted to dry coastal scrub. It bears...

28 / 03 / 2005 | Antonia Xaba | Harold Porter NBG
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Cussonia spicata

Photo: Geoff Nichols: Cussonia spicata
Common names: cabbage-tree, common cabbage tree; kiepersol (Afr); umsenge(S, Z & Xh.); motshetshe (NS)
Family: Araliaceae

The cabbage-tree is a strikingly beautiful garden tree which is widely cultivated both locally and abroad for its striking evergreen foliage. Its unusual...

20 / 12 / 2004 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Cussonia sphaerocephala

Cussonia sphaerocephala
Common names: forest cabbage-tree, Natal forest cabbage tree (Eng.); boskiepersol (Afr.); umsenge-wehlathi (isiXhosa & isiZulu); umsenge (siSwati)
Family: Araliaceae

A highly ornamental, fast-growing tree, with rounded heads atop tall, slender stems developing into magnificent specimens, but don’t plant it near...

21 / 01 / 2019 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cussonia paniculata

Mature Cussonia paniculata
Common names: mountain cabbage tree (Eng.), bergkiepersol (Afr.), umsenge (X, Sw) umsengembuzi (Z)
Family: Araliaceae

This evergreen tree makes a beautiful focal point in a garden as it has an unusual shape, interesting gnarled bark and stunning, large, grey-green leaves....

21 / 10 / 2002 | Peter Gavhi | Free State NBG
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Curtisia dentata

Curtisia dentata
Common names: assegai (Eng.); assegaai (Afr.); uSirayi, umGxina (Xhosa); umLahleni (Xhosa, Zulu); uMagunda, uMaginda, umBese, umPhephelelangeni (Zulu); iliNcayi, is
Family: Cornaceae

Curtisia dentata is a handsome, evergreen tree with beautiful foliage that looks good throughout the year. It has great potential as a garden tree, an...

05 / 07 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio talinoides

Curio talinoides
Common names: blue straws (Eng.); dassieharpuis (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A conspicuous, spreading, succulent shrub with striking, bluish grey-green, elongated, rounded, succulent leaves, with a resinous smell when damaged. The...

30 / 12 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio repens

Curio repens
Common names: blue toes (Eng.); kransharpuis, bloutoontjies (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Curio repens is a low, cluster-forming to drooping, leaf and stem succulent perennial from sandstone cliffs and rocky parts of the Cape Peninsula to Hermanus....

23 / 03 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio radicans

Curio radicans
Common names: baboon toes, banana vine, creeping berry, necklace plant, string-of-bananas, string-of-fishhooks (Eng.); bobbejaantoontjies, bobbejaanvingertjies, bok
Family: Asteraceae

Curio radicans is a versatile succulent which can either act as a ground cover or an overflowing hanging pot plant; it is a beautiful addition to any garden...

18 / 06 / 2018 | Ashton Welcome | National Herbarium Pretoria
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