Plants of the Week

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E.g., 30/12/2024
E.g., 30/12/2024

Polystichum

Polystichum pungens
Common names: shield ferns
Family: Dryopteridaceae

Polystichum (Class: Filicopsida, Order: Polypodiales), or shield ferns, as they are commonly called, is a genus of 160 to 200 species. They occur...

08 / 03 / 2004 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium
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Petalidium bracteatum

Petalidium bracteatum in conservatory at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Ruacana petalidium (Eng.); Ruacana rooibekkiebos (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

The Ruacana petalidium is a fast and easily growing shrub with striking dark red tubular flowers which attract sunbirds. As its name implies, it originates...

08 / 03 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erythrina zeyheri

E. zeheri growing in Free State NBG
Common names: harrow-breaker, plough-breaker (Eng.); ploegbreker (Afr.); khungoana, motumo (Southern Sotho?); umnsinsana (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

It is only in Africa where one can find this stunning, hardy, deciduous shrublet that produces brilliant scarlet flowers in late spring — local is...

08 / 03 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Vangueria infausta

Green fruits of Vangueria infausta: Photo: T Basson
Common names: wild medlar (Eng.); wilde mispel (Afr.); mpfilwa (Tsonga & Shangaan); mmilo (Northern Sotho); muzwilu, mavelo (Venda); umviyo, umtulwa (Zulu); umv
Family: Rubiaceae

This species is one of South Africa's more popular veld fruits, and can be enjoyed while walking. This lovely little tree is considered to possess...

01 / 03 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Solanum aculeastrum

Solanum acueleastrum
Common names: goat bitter-apple, bitter-apple, goat apple, poison apple (Eng.); bok-bitterappel, bitterappel, bokappel, gifappel (Afr.); thola (Tswana); murulwa (Ve
Family: Solanaceae

...

01 / 03 / 2004 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Maytenus acuminata var. acuminata 'Silky Showers'

Foliage
Common names: silky bark (Eng.); sybas (Afr.)
Family: Celastraceae

Maytenus 'Silky Showers' is a superb garden plant originally found in the warm, partially shaded valleys of the Little Karoo. It grows to...

01 / 03 / 2004 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Jasminum multipartitum

Jasminum multipartitum
Common names: starry wild jasmine (Eng.); sterretjies-jasmyn (Afr.); imfohlafohlane (Zulu)
Family: Oleaceae

This is a very rewarding plant with sweetly scented, white, waxy flowers displayed against glossy, dark green foliage. Consider it a 'must-have'...

23 / 02 / 2004 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Frithia humilis

Frithia humilis
Common names: window plants, fairy elephant's feet (Eng.);bobbejaanvingers, glasies, toontjies (Afr.) Status: Endangered
Family: Aizoaceae

This miniature leaf succulent is attractive even when not flowering as the windowed leaves with crenulate markings are showy and unique....

23 / 02 / 2004 | P Burgoyne | Pretoria NBG
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Osmunda regalis

Young frond & unfurling crozier. Photo A Klopper
Common names: royal fern (Eng.); adelvaring (Afr.)
Family: Osmundaceae

Osmunda regalis is unusual in that it forms new fertile fronds in autumn, and not in spring or summer as is common in most ferns....

16 / 02 / 2004 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Agapanthus inapertus subsp. hollandii

Lydenburg
Common names: drooping agapanthus (Eng.); bloulelie (Afr.); isicakathi (Xhosa)
Family: Agapanthaceae

'Sky' and 'Lydenburg' are two of the most floriferous and attractive forms of agapanthus to grace the summer garden. Both were thought...

16 / 02 / 2004 | Y Reynolds | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia capensis

Elegia capensis
Common names: horsetail restio (Eng.); besemriet, fonteinriet, katstert, kanet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

This restio is a tall, dark green, elegant plant with large, decorative, papery sheaths along the stems. It is a good feature plant next to a pond, a swimming...

09 / 02 / 2004 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dryopteridaceae

Polystichum sp.
Common names: wood fern family
Family: Dryopteridaceae

The Dryopteridaceae is a large and diverse fern family with a near cosmopolitan distribution. Arachniodes (East Indian holly fern), Cyrtomium (net-veined...

09 / 02 / 2004 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium
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Oldenburgia grandis

Oldeburgia  grandis
Common names: Suurberg cushion bush, mountain hunchback, rabbit's ears, lamb's ears, donkey's ears (Eng.); Suurbergkussingbos, Suurbergse dikblaarlepelboom, basters
Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia grandis is a remarkable, small, thick-set, tree similar in appearance to some tree proteas, but this strange plant's thistle-like flowers...

02 / 02 / 2004 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Disa cardinalis

Disa cardinalis
Family: Orchidaceae

Disa cardinalis,  found in the Western Cape, South Africa, is an attractive orchid with brilliant red flowers. The species is not often seen in nature...

02 / 02 / 2004 | H Kurzweil | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mentha longifolia

Mentha longifolia subsp.capensis
Common names: wild mint (Eng.); kruisement, balderjan, ballerja (Afr.); koena-ya-thaba, bohatsu (Southern Sotho); inixina, inzinziniba (Xhosa); ufuthana lomhlanga (
Family: Lamiaceae

With its strong mint smell and taste, this herb has found its way into homes for centuries where it has been used in the kitchen and as a medicine. There...

26 / 01 / 2004 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Felicia heterophylla

Felicia heterophylla
Common names: true-blue daisy (Eng.); bloublomastertjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

The true blue daisy is one of the few felicias with entirely blue daisy flowers, in contrast to the others with yellow centres surrounded by blue/purple...

26 / 01 / 2004 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Solanum giganteum

Berries of Solanum giganteum
Common names: healing-leaf tree, giant bitter-apple, red bitter-apple, red bitter-berry, thorny bug-tree (Eng.); geneesblaarboom, grootbitterappel, rooibitterbessie
Family: Solanaceae

This big shrub with its colourful, long-lasting berries and large leaves with silvery undersides, makes an unusual hedge or background plant....

19 / 01 / 2004 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Agapanthus praecox

Agapanthus praecox subsp.orientalis
Common names: common agapanthus, blue lily (Eng.); bloulelie, agapant (Afr.); isicakathi (Xhosa); ubani (Zulu)
Family: Agapanthaceae

I doubt that there is a South African gardener alive that has not come across an agapanthus somewhere! They line our roads, and are in most gardens and...

19 / 01 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Watsonia hysterantha

Watsonia hysterantha. Photo: G Duncan
Common names: autumn watsonia (Eng.); herfskanolpypie, suikerkan, rooipypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia hysterantha is one of numerous, bright, dwarf watsonias endemic to Western Cape. While several tall-growing watsonias are frequently used in roadside...

12 / 01 / 2004 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Frithia pulchra

Frithia pulchra
Common names: bobbejaanvingers, glasies, toontjies, window plants and, perhaps most appropriately fairy elephant's feet.
Family: Aizoaceae

Window-leaf succulents are always very popular as the shape of the leaves is unique and when in flower the magenta petals with lighter centres cover the...

12 / 01 / 2004 | P Burgoyne | National Herbarium Pretoria
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