Plants of the Week

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E.g., 09/12/2024
E.g., 09/12/2024

Croton pseudopulchellus

Flowers and leaves
Common names: small lavender fever-berry (Eng.); kleinlaventelkoorsbessie, sandkoorsbessie (Afr.); uHubeshane (isiZulu)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

A pale white/yellow-flowered, shrubby, perennial plant with a sweet smell that attracts many insects....

24 / 09 / 2012 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Croton sylvaticus

Croton sylvaticus tree. Photo G. Nichols
Common names: forest fever-berry, woodland croton (Eng.); boskoorsbessie (Afr.), umFeze, uMagwaqane (Xhosa); umHloshazane, uGebeleweni, umZilanyoni, inDumbahlozi (Z
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Croton sylvaticus is a beautiful, spreading, leafy tree, up to 21 m, high sometimes less, usually with a tall, straight trunk up to 1 m in diameter....

25 / 08 / 2008 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG
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Cryptocarya woodii

Leaves and green fruits
Common names: Cape laurel, Cape Quince, bastard camphor tree (E): rooikweper,Kaapse kweper (A); isithungwa, inqayana, ixobothi (Xhosa) umngcabe, umnqayane, isililan
Family: Lauraceae

This is a handsome tree for small gardens with a lovely shape when properly pruned. The shiny, purple-black fleshy fruits are showy and complemented by...

19 / 12 / 2005 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cryptocarya wyliei

Cryptocarya wyliei. Image © G. Nichols
Common names: red quince; red-haired laurel (Eng.); rooikweper (Afr.); umNgcabe (Zulu); umNqayane (Zulu, Xhosa)
Family: Lauraceae

Cryptocarya wyliei is a beautiful ornamental tree, easily grown from seed, with bright red edible fruit scattered among the tiny green leaves....

15 / 10 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Cryptostephanus

Cryptostephanus vansonii
Common names: none known
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cryptostephanus is a curious, little-known genus comprising three species from Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. It is most closely...

29 / 06 / 2015 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cucumis africanus

Fruits
Common names: wild cucumber, wild gherkin (Eng.); wilde agurkie, doringkomkommertjie (Afr.); monyaku (Pedi); mthangazana (Xhosa); isende-lenja, uselwa-lwemamba (Zul
Family: Cucurbitaceae

The fruits of this species, looking like small, prickly and striped cucumbers, were pickled and preserved in old Cape kitchens....

14 / 03 / 2005 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cucumis metuliferus

Cucumis metuliferus fruit
Common names: African horned cucumber, jelly melon, kiwano (Eng.); rooi-agurkie, rooikomkommer (Afr.); mokapana (Tswana)
Family: Cucurbitaceae

This African climber is cultivated in various parts of the world for its showy, edible fruits....

10 / 08 / 2009 | M Welman | Pretoria NBG
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Cunonia capensis

Cunonia capensis
Common names: red alder, butterspoon tree (English); rooiels (Afrikaans); umqwashube (Xhosa); umlulama (Zulu)
Family: Cunoniaceae

Cunonia capensis is a beautiful evergreen garden tree which attracts insects to its flowers....

05 / 03 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Curio articulatus

Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Baculellum articulatum ...

30 / 09 / 2024 | | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Curio crassulifolius

Small, discoid flowerheads in late winter, spring and early summer
Common names: blue fingers (Eng.); blouvingertjies (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A low-growing, mat-forming groundcover with upward-pointing cylindrical, bluish grey-green, succulent leaves that provides unusual foliage colour, texture...

27 / 06 / 2016 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio ficoides

Curio ficoides
Common names: blue chalkstick, flat-leaved senecio (Eng.); blouharpuis (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

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

11 / 11 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio muirii

Close-up of the leaves of Curio muirii
Common names: cliff curio (Eng.); kransharpuis (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Curio muirii is a trailing to pendent cliff hanger from the Gouritz River and its tributaries. The succulent leaves are bluish green, often crowded towards...

08 / 07 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio pondoensis

Curio pondoensis
Common names: Pondo cliff daisy (Eng.); Pondo krans-aster (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

The Pondo cliff daisy is a cliff-hanger, leaf and stem succulent, endemic to the river valleys of northern Pondoland, in the Eastern Cape. The attractive,...

24 / 08 / 2015 | 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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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 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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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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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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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 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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