Plants of the Week

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

Strelitzia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis

In flower in habitat
Common names: Mzimvubu craneflower
Family: Strelitziaceae

This is a subspecies of the well known Strelitzia reginae which is a garden favourite and a choice cut-flower worldwide....

24 / 03 / 2008 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's Gold'

Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's gold'
Common names: Mandela's Gold strelitzia, yellow strelitzia, yellow crane flower, yellow bird of paradise, geelkraanvoel blom, geel piesang
Family: Strelitziaceae

Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's Gold' is a rare yellow form of the well-known crane flower, Strelitzia reginae....

26 / 08 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strelitzia reginae

Strelitzia reginae
Common names: crane flower, bird of paradise, orange strelitzia (Eng.); isigude (Nguni); kraanvoëlblom (Afr.)
Family: Strelitziaceae

Strelitzia reginae is one the most popular horticultural perennials around the world. It flowers for long periods with its vivid orange and bright...

26 / 02 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strelitzia nicolai

S.nicolai
Common names: Natal wild banana, (E); Natalse wildepiesang (A); isigude, igceba, inkamanga (Z); ikhamanga, isigude, isigceba (X).
Family: Strelitziaceae

This is a tall, striking foliage plant related to the well-known Crane Flower, Strelitzia reginae....

01 / 07 / 2002 | Samson Moeketsi Letsela | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Strelitzia juncea

Strelitzia juncea
Common names: rush-leaf crane flower, rush-leaf strelitzia (Eng.); rietkraanvoëlblom, riet-strelitzia (Afr.)
Family: Strelitziaceae

This is a striking feature plant with upright cylindrical leaves without a leaf blade, growing from 1 to 2 m in height and producing large orange or yellow...

27 / 09 / 2004 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strelitzia caudata

Strelitzia caudata
Common names: mountain wild banana, Transvaal wild banana (Eng.); bergwildepiesang, Transvaal wildepiesang (Afr.); isigude saseMpumalanga (Nguni)
Family: Strelitziaceae

Strelitzia caudata is one of three arborescent banana-like Strelitzia species occurring in southern Africa. It is a good focal point for a mid-size to...

25 / 04 / 2011 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strelitzia alba

Strelitzia alba flower
Common names: white-flowered wild banana, Cape wild banana (Eng.); Kaapse witwildepiesang (Afr.); Isigude esimbalimhlophe (Nguni)
Family: Strelitziaceae

Strelitzia alba is the rarest of the three large banana-like Strelitzia species occurring in southern Africa which are separated by flower characteristics...

15 / 11 / 2010 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stomatium mustellinum

Stomatium mustellinum
Common names: no English names recorded; kussingvygie (Afr.) (= Mesembryanthemum mustellinum Salm-Dyck, Stomatium pyrodorum (Diels) L.Bolus)
Family: Aizoaceae

In South African history from 1899-1902 British and Boer troops traversed the natural vegetation of the Free State in war. The vegetation they crossed...

06 / 05 / 2013 | L Kessler | Free State NBG
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Stoeberia giftbergensis

Stoeberia giftbergensis
Common names: Gifberg tree-mesemb (Eng.); Gifberg-boomvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A large, shrubby, leaf succulent with white to pink flowers in spring; it is a rare endemic of the Gifberg in the Western Cape....

15 / 08 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stoeberia carpii

In flower at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Vaalvygie
Family: Aizoaceae

Stoeberia carpii is one of six Stoeberia species endemic to the winter-rainfall region of South Africa and Namibia. They are shrubby leaf...

15 / 07 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stoeberia arborea

Rounded inflorescence of flowers
Common names: tree mesemb ( Eng. ); rooi-vye, boomvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Stoeberia arborea is the largest member of the Mesembryanthemaceae. It is a woody, ascending shrub, 2 to 5 m tall and bearing small white flowers....

26 / 09 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stoebe

Stoebe rosea
Common names: hartebeeskaroobos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Not everyone will recognize members of this genus as belonging to the Asteraceae. There are no showy ray flowers and the white or pink disc flowers are...

21 / 06 / 2004 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Stilbe vestita

Stilbe vestita
Common names: grey stilbe
Family: Stilbaceae

Stilbe vestita is a fynbos shrub with upright stems that are covered with closely packed, needle-like leaves, and have dense spikes of small white flowers...

18 / 04 / 2022 | Siqamo Yeko | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stilbe ericoides

Stilbe ericoides
Common names: pink stilbe (Eng.)
Family: Stilbaceae

Pink stilbe is an erect or straggling, resprouting, ericoid shrub with densely leafy, velvety branches and pink flowers in dense, rounded spikes at the...

04 / 07 / 2022 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sterculia rogersii

Sterculia rogersii flowers
Common names: star-chestnut (Eng.); sterkastaiing (Afr.); mokgwakgwatha (NS); samani, nsolodza (Ts)
Family: Malvaceae

This is a small tree with smooth bark flaking to reveal reddish to purple or yellowish under-bark and a characteristic thickset trunk. It has saucer-shaped,...

21 / 03 / 2011 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Sterculia murex

Immature fruits of S.murex.
Common names: lowveld chestnut(E), laeveld kastaiing (A) umbhaba (Swazi), mohlatsane (N Sotho)
Family: Malvaceae

It is not only the beauty of the flowers that creates interest in this tree, but also the unique appearance of its fruit and the lovely, palmately compound...

01 / 07 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sterculia alexandri

Sterculia alexandri
Common names: Cape star-chestnut (Eng.); Kaapsesterkastaiing (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Sterculia alexandri is a medium-sized, thickset tree with compound leaves and yellow flowers. It is endemic to the Eastern Cape, west of Port Elizabeth,...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stephania abyssinica

Stephania abyssinica
Common names: tale-telling plant (Eng.); verklikkerplant (Afr.); umbombo, umthambana, umthombo (isiZulu)
Family: Menispermaceae

A slender climbing plant with smooth, deep green, heart-shaped leaves and long twining stems, that can climb up to 10 m high....

10 / 04 / 2023 | Umpha Pharamela | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Stenostelma umbelliferum

Flowerhead
Family: Apocynaceae

Stenostelma umbelluliferum was recently moved to the genus Stenostelma. Previously known as Schizoglossum umbelluliferum, it  was rediscovered in...

31 / 03 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Stenoglottis woodii

Stenoglottis woodii
Family: Orchidaceae

This easy to grow, miniature, terrestrial orchid from the eastern seaboard of South Africa, provides a long-flowering summer display on a protected patio...

07 / 02 / 2005 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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