Plants of the Week

Pterodiscus luridus

Common names: lurid flowered pterodiscus

Family: Pedaliaceae

Pterodiscus luridus has a large swollen caudex aboveground that resembles a miniature baobab, particularly noticeable when the stems die back in winter...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Asclepias genus

Common names: milkweed (Eng.); melkbos (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Asclepias (as most of the taxa in the family Apocynaceae in the broad sense, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), are an interesting group...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Elegia persistens

Common names: handsome goldreed

Family: Restionaceae

A very attractive, medium-sized, reed-like perennial, with golden-brown flower heads, that can be used to enliven any garden....

24 / 02 / 2020 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Berkheya setifera

Common names: buffalo-tongue thistle (Eng.); rasperdissel, rasperdisseldoring (Afr); ikhakhasi, ulimi-lwenkomo, ulimi-lwenyathi (isiZulu); indlebe-lenkomo (isiXhosa

Family: Asteraceae

A robust perennial, with profuse, bright yellow flowers and bristly leaves; one of the 71 species that are found in South Africa out of the 75 species...

24 / 02 / 2020 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Dombeya kirkii

Common names: river wild pear, river dombeya (Eng.); rivierdrolpeer (Afr.)

Family: Malvaceae

A fast growing and beautiful, ornamental wild pear with masses of white flowers in late summer and winter....

02 / 03 / 2020 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe castanea

Common names: cat's tail aloe (Eng.), katstertaalwyn (Afr.), borolo, suwopa, sekgopha (Northern Sotho)

Family: Asphodelaceae

An attractive, large aloe that occurs in savanna and grassland, with very distinctive spreading branches and snake-like Inflorescences; and flowers filled...

02 / 03 / 2020 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG

Senecio voigtii

Common names: Voigt’s senecio

Family: Asteraceae

Senecio voigtii is an attractive, multi-stemmed shrublet, 300-600 mm tall, from the dry river valleys in the Eastern Cape. It is immediately recognized...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cotula coronopifolia

Common names: water buttons, button weeds, brass buttons (Eng.); gansgras, eendekos (Afr.).

Family: Asteraceae

Cotula coronopifolia is a cute yellow button daisy that is either annual or perennial, which occurs along edges of saline or freshwater pools, between...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Aarifah Jakoet | Compton Herbarium

Encephalartos ghellinckii

Common names: Drakensberg cycad (Eng.); drakensbergbroodboom (Afr.); isidawu (Zul.); umguza (Xho.)

Family: Zamiaceae

The Drakensberg cycad should be not be confused with any other species because of its very narrow and exceptionally revolute leaflets, which are unique...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Coccinia rehmannii

Common names: wild cucumber (Eng.); wilde komkommer (Afr.); kgaba, kubjana, mogakangwaga, oro, otjinaga, mmadigônyane (Tsw.); uselwa-lwenyoka (Zul.)

Family: Cucurbitaceae

Coccinia rehmannii is a perennial creeper or climber arising from a large tuberous rootstock, with conspicuous, many-seeded, globose fruits....

16 / 03 / 2020 | Khululwa Mfondini | National Herbarium Pretoria

Adenia glauca

Common names: blue leaved elephant’s foot (Eng.); bobbebjaangif (Afr.)

Family: Passifloraceae

The oddly shaped, swollen stem and twining vines of Adenia glauca can be seen growing in the driest parts of southern Africa. Its soft greyish green, palmately-shaped...

16 / 03 / 2020 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG

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

Adromischus triflorus

Common names: duck's foot, calico heart (Eng.); bontplakkie, eendevoet (Afr.) 

Family: Crassulaceae

The spotted leaves of Adromischus triflorus would give any miniature or water-wise landscape a bit of texture and contrast. This evergreen species is compact...

23 / 03 / 2020 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG

Ammocharis baumii

Common names: Baum’s ammocharis

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Ammocharis baumii is a dwarf bulbous plant, with attractive, but fleeting, pink, sweetly-scented flowers, with an extremely long perianth tube. It is easily...

30 / 03 / 2020 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lachenalia lutzeyeri

Common names: Lutzeyer’s lachenalia

Family: Hyacinthaceae

...

30 / 03 / 2020 | Joti Daya | CREW

Plectranthus hilliardiae

Common names: Pondo spurflower (Eng.); pondospoorsalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

One of the most attractive of the Plectranthus, with glossy, dark green leaves and purple-blue autumn flowers, it is best suited to moist, subtropical...

06 / 04 / 2020 | Ayanda Komanisi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Graderia scabra

Common names: wild penstemon, pink ground-bells (Eng.); uvelabahleke (Xho.), impundu, isimonyo, ugweja, umphuphutho (Zul.)

Family: Orobanchaceae

The attractive pink flowers of Graderia scabra easily catch the eye, especially after veld fires. They belong to a small, semi-herbaceous, partly parasitic...

06 / 04 / 2020 | Tumelo Mofokeng | Pretoria NBG

Ficus salicifolia

Common names: Wonderboom fig (Eng.); wonderboomvy (Afr.); isisantu (isiZulu); umkhiwane, indhlaleni (siSwati); motlhatsa (setswana); mohlatssa, mohlatsiso, monokane

Family: Moraceae

This hardy, spreading, evergreen tree produces fruit that will attract any fruit-loving birds to your garden. It is ideal for large properties and very...

13 / 04 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Petalidium oblongifolium

Common names: blue petalidium, blue petal-bush (Eng.); bloubos, blou-tongklapper (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

A beautiful small shrub with silvery leaves and attractive blue flowers in summer; a hardy, water-wise plant for sun or semi-shade....

13 / 04 / 2020 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG

Podocarpus falcatus

Common names: Outeniqua yellowwood (English), Outeniekwageelhout (Afrikaans) mogôbagôba (Northern Sotho), umsonti (Zulu).

Family: Podocarpaceae

See Afrocarpus falcatus....

14 / 04 / 2020 | | Free State NBG

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