Plants of the Week

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Asteraceae

Arctotis stoechadifolia
Common names: daisy family, sunflower family, thistle family (Eng.); madeliefie-familie, sonneblom-familie (Afr.) Class: Dicotyledoneae (Angiospermae) Order: Astera
Family: Asteraceae

This is probably the largest family of flowering plants, with more than 25 000 species world-wide, growing from sea-level to the highest mountain peaks....

26 / 04 / 2004 | Paul Herman | Pretoria 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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Astroloba genus

Astroloba spirella in a nurse plant east of Ladismith
Common names: astrolobas, starlobes (Eng.); astrolobas, kleinaalwyne, koedoekos, steekaalwyntjies (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Astrolobas are aloes in the miniature and well adapted to their arid karroid environments. They form clusters of stems that are densely packed with small,...

18 / 09 / 2023 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Astroloba rubriflora

Astroloba rubriflora
Common names: red-flowered astroloba
Family: Asphodelaceae

Astroloba rubriflora is the only plant in its genus that has red flowers. The tubular flowers face upwards, and are adapted to attract sunbirds for pollination,...

19 / 08 / 2019 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Astroloba subg. Astroloba sect. Astroloba

Family: Asphodelaceae

The species in this section have leaves that are often tuberculed, with one margin of each leaf usually losing its identity near the leaf apex. The relatively...

18 / 09 / 2023 | | Karoo Desert NBG
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Astroloba subg. Astroloba sect. Inflata

Family: Asphodelaceae

The species in this section have leaves that are matt and unadorned. The inflorescence is usually unbranched, and the flowers have somewhat inflated perianth...

18 / 09 / 2023 | | Karoo Desert NBG
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Astroloba subg. Astroloba sect. Intercedens

Family: Asphodelaceae

The species in this section have leaves that are matt. Their flowers have dull-coloured perianth tubes and cream-coloured lobes. The two species co-occur,...

18 / 09 / 2023 | | Karoo Desert NBG
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Astroloba subg. Astroloba sect. Vastora

Family: Asphodelaceae

The species in this section have leaves that are glossy. Due to their relatively small divergence angle, the leaves form five ranks that are either vertical...

18 / 09 / 2023 | | Karoo Desert NBG
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Astroloba subg. Poellnitzia

Family: Asphodelaceae

This subgenus comprises a single species....

18 / 09 / 2023 | | Karoo Desert NBG
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Asystasia gangetica

Growing as a groundcover in sun
Common names: creeping foxglove (Eng.); Isihobo (Zulu)
Family: Acanthaceae

If you have a large expanse that needs covering, try the magic of this African beauty. Creeping foxglove is the most rewarding and friendliest of all the...

21 / 06 / 2004 | E Lithudzha | Pretoria NBG
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Asystasia varia

Asystsia varia
Common names: Asystasia
Family: Acanthaceae

This lovely garden plant grows very well in shady gardens, as well as in containers (hanging baskets), which is probably the most innovative way to optimize...

13 / 02 / 2006 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Atalaya alata

Atalaya alata foliage
Common names: Lebombo krantz ash (Eng.); Lebombo kransesseboom (Afr.); umzondo, umnondo (Zulu)
Family: Sapindaceae

Introduce a finer texture in your garden by planting Atalaya alata....

13 / 10 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Athanasia crithmifolia

Athanasia crithmifolia
Common names: samphire-leaf athanasia, thread-leaf klaas louw bush (Eng.); draadblaar-klaaslouwbos, klaaslouwbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A fast-growing herbaceous shrub with grey-green foliage and showy bright yellow flower-heads in early to midsummer; it’s easy to grow and water wise,...

22 / 01 / 2018 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Athanasia dentata

Athanasia dentata
Common names: toothed-leaf athanasia (Eng.); geelblombos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Green and golden is the best way to describe Athanasia dentata....

18 / 11 / 2002 | Christien Malan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Athanasia trifurcata

Athanasia trifurcata
Common names: trifid-leaf athanasia, coulter bush, klaas louw bush, three-tooth athanasia (Eng.), kouterbos, klaaslouwbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A fast-growing shrub with grey 3-forked leaves, displaying showy clusters of beautiful yellow flower heads in early summer, well suited for fynbos, renosterveld,...

11 / 03 / 2024 | Maria van der Westhuizen | Karoo Desert NBG
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Athrixia phylicoides

Flowers of Athrixia phylicoides
Common names: Bushman's tea (Eng.); Boesmanstee (Afr.); Icholocholo, itshelo, umthsanelo (isiZulu)
Family: Asteraceae

This is a stunning plant that has a great horticultural potential in cultivation. Its beautiful flowers and the soft texture of the leaves make it an asset...

23 / 05 / 2005 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aulax pallasia

Aulax pallasia male plant
Common names: needle-leaf featherbush (Eng.); dunbeentjieebos, naaldbaarkanariebos, kersbos (Afr.).
Family: Proteaceae

A needle-leaved, long-lived, evergreen fynbos shrub with male and female flowers on separate plants that look quite different from each other. The male...

17 / 07 / 2023 | Yonela Dyakobe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aulax umbellata

Female inflorescences
Common names: Broad-leaf Featherbush (Eng.), Veerkanariebos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

A slender shrub with bright yellow flowerheads contrasting vividly with the purplish brown young foliage around the flowerheads during summer....

03 / 12 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Avicennia marina

Avicennia marina tree
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
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Azanza garckeana

Azanza garckeana (Bart Wurston)
Common names: azanza, quarters, Rhodesian tree-hibiscus, slime-apple, snot-apple, tree-hibiscus (Eng.); slymappel, snotappel (Afr.); caglacagla, ixaguxagu, ixakuxak
Family: Malvaceae

Azanza garckeana with its non-aggressive root system, large leaves and crinkled yellow flowers, makes a beautiful shade tree which has the added bonus...

18 / 12 / 2017 | Ashton Welcome | National Herbarium Pretoria
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