Plants of the Week

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E.g., 23/12/2024
E.g., 23/12/2024

Leucospermum vestitum

Leucospermum vestitum, orange-red flowerheads
Common names: silky-haired pincushion (Eng.); bergluisie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucospermum vestitum is a very showy pincushion with greyish foliage and large, two-toned flowerheads that start out bright orange and mature to brilliant...

16 / 05 / 2016 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Teclea gerrardii

Teclea gerrardii fruits (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Zulu cherry-orange, flaky-barked cherry-orange (Eng.); Zulukersielemoen (Afr.); umozane (isiZulu); umboza, inzinyana, (isiXhosa)
Family: Rutaceae

The Zulu cherry-orange is an ornamental tree that grows well in sunny or shady positions and invites wildlife to gardens because of its attractive, fleshy,...

16 / 05 / 2016 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Peucedanum polyactinum

This plant is now called Notobubon capense....

11 / 05 / 2016 | | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Ledebouria lepida

Ledebouria lepida
Common names: Waterberg African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A curious dwarf novelty Ledebouria from the Waterberg in the Limpopo Province that is rare in the wild and creates a colourful display of small purple...

09 / 05 / 2016 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu 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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Orothamnus zeyheri

Orothamnus zeyheri
Common names: marsh rose, mountain rose (Eng.); vleiroos, bergroos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

...

02 / 05 / 2016 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Manochlamys albicans

Manochlamys albicans
Common names: spanspek soap bush (Eng.); spanspekbos, bobbejaanseep, seepbos, spekbos, hondebossie (Afr.)
Family: Amaranthaceae

Manochlamys albicans is a fast-growing shrub that has a striking appearance and great potential to rehabilitate saline soils....

02 / 05 / 2016 | Vuyelwa Ndevu | Karoo Desert NBG
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Marsilea schelpeana

Marsilea schelpeana
Common names: water clover
Family: Marsileaceae

Marsilea schelpeana is an aquatic plant with a creeping stem, bearing stalked, floating leaves. It is found in areas that become marshy after rain, but...

25 / 04 / 2016 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Lycium afrum

Lycium afrum (Hedi Stummer)
Common names: kraal honeythorn (Eng.); kraaldoring, kraalkriedoring, slangbessie, bokdoring (Afr.)
Family: Solanaceae

Coming from an economically important family of flowering plants, this is a robust, stiffly branched, moderate sized, thorny shrub, that may grow to be...

25 / 04 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria ovatifolia subsp. ovatifolia

Ledebouria ovatifolia, Weza Ngele
Common names: flat-leaved African hyacinth (Eng.); icubudwana (isiZulu); untanganazibomvu (isiXhosa)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Curious and widespread, a variable, bulbous plant, with unique, broad, flat, usually spotted leaves, which are tightly appressed to the soil surface, and...

18 / 04 / 2016 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica glomiflora var. glomiflora

Erica glomiflora (HG Robertson, Iziko Museums of South Africa)
Common names: lantern heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica glomiflora var. glomiflora is a variable and attractive species exhibiting a wide range of flower shapes and forms that brighten up the southern...

18 / 04 / 2016 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria matopensis

Barleria matopensis
Common names: Matopos barleria (Eng.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria matopensis is an attractive shrub, for a sunny, water-wise garden....

11 / 04 / 2016 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Kleinia chimanimaniensis

Kleinia chimanimaniensis flowerheads
Common names: Chimanimani kleinia (Eng.); Chimanimani-kleinia (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Kleinia chimanimaniensis is a sprawling shrublet with succulent leaves and stems and scented yellow flowers, in summer. It is confined to cliffs of the...

11 / 04 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brachycorythis conica subsp. transvaalensis

Brachycorythis conica subsp. transvaalensis
Common names: Albertina Sisulu Orchid
Family: Orchidaceae

This beautiful and enigmatic orchid was first recorded in 1918; it was last seen in the Gauteng Province in 1956, until its rediscovery in 2007. This species...

04 / 04 / 2016 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Dyschoriste thunbergiiflora

Dyschoriste thunbergiflora
Common names: purple bells (Eng.); persklokkies (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

A versatile, evergreen shrub for semi-shade, with attractive dark green foliage and eye-catching, large, blue-purple, trumpet-shaped flowers, occurring...

04 / 04 / 2016 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Noltea africana

Noltea africana, flowers and foliage (Geoff Nichols).
Common names: soap glossy-leaf, noltea, soap bush, soap dogwood (Eng.); seepblinkblaar, seepbos (Afr.); umkhuthuhla, amaluleka, iphalode, umglindi (isiXhosa), umahl
Family: Rhamnaceae

An ornamental shrub or small tree with clusters of fragrant white flowers from winter to spring....

28 / 03 / 2016 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Astroloba cremnophila

Astroloba cremnophila
Common names: cliff astroloba (Eng.); krans-astroloba (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Astroloba cremnophila is a small, cluster-forming, leaf succulent from the cliffs along the Buffelsrivier. The plant has leafy, succulent stems, the leaves...

28 / 03 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senegalia burkei

Senegalia burkei (Alex Dreyer)
Common names: black monkey-thorn (Eng.); swartapiesdoring (Afr.); umkhaya wehlalahlathi, umbabampala (isiZulu); umkhaya (siSwati); mokgwa, mokoba (Setswana); mokwar
Family: Fabaceae

Senegalia burkei is a distinctive deciduous tree that can be identified easily throughout the year. It has spikes of creamy white flowers in early summer,...

21 / 03 / 2016 | Thobile Mlaba | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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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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Lachnospermum umbellatum

Lachnospermum umbellatum
Common names: rooiblombossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This little-known species from the extreme southwestern corner of the country thrives in the wet fynbos of the Cape Fold Mountains near the coast. Its...

14 / 03 / 2016 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium
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