Plants of the Week

Freylinia undulata

Common names: Overberg bell-bush, mauve honey-bell (Eng.); Overbergse klokkiesbos (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Freylinia undulata is an attractive shrub with mauve flowers, ideal for dry gardens in the winter-rainfall area....

06 / 09 / 2004 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Freylinia visseri

Common names: Velddrif bell-bush (Eng.); suurlat, Velddrif klokkiesbos (Afr).

Family: Scrophulariaceae

...

15 / 11 / 2004 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Freylinia vlokii

Common names: Rooiberg bell-bush, Karoo bell-bush (Eng.); Karoo klokkiesbos (Afr.)

Family: Scrophulariaceae

Freylinia vlokii is a shrub bearing beautiful tubular mauve flowers and is an ideal plant for dry fynbos gardens....

05 / 06 / 2006 | Freddie Bosman | Kirstenbosch NBG

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

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

Funaria hygrometrica

Plants with capsules - Photo and copyright Štepán Koval

Common names: Common cord-moss, little goldilocks, golden maidenhair

Family: Funariaceae

The attractive red-brown spore-bearing part of the plant (sporophyte), which consists of a long, twisting stalk (seta) with an asymmetrical, grooved capsule...

09 / 09 / 2013 | Jacques van Rooy | National Herbarium Pretoria

Galpinia transvaalica

Common names: wild pride of India (Eng.); knoppieblaar (Afr.); UmDlampangele ( Zulu)

Family: Lythraceae

This tree is part of a small family of herbs, small trees and shrubs found in subtropical and tropical regions. Its attractive flowerheads and coloured...

22 / 11 / 2004 | Linette Ferreira | Pretoria NBG

Galtonia candicans

Common names: berg lily, summer hyacinth, Cape hyacinth (Eng.); berglelie, Kaapse hiasint (Afr.); isidwa esimhlope (Zulu)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Galtonia candicans is now called Ornithogalum candicans....

14 / 04 / 2011 | | Pretoria NBG

Galtonia regalis

Common names: Royal Berg Lily

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Galtonia regalis is now called Ornithogalum regale...

05 / 12 / 2022 | | Pretoria NBG

Garcinia gerrardii

Common names: forest garcinia, forest mangosteen (Eng.); bosgeelmelkhout (Afr.); umbande, umbindi (Xhosa); isibinda, isikhwelamfene, umbinda (Zulu); sikhwelamkhala

Family: Clusiaceae

Related to the mangosteen from India, the forest garcinia is not a well-known garden ornamental, but it could be. It has fragrant flowers in early summer,...

27 / 02 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Garcinia livingstonei

Common names: African mangosteen (Eng.); Afrika-geelmelkhout (Afr.); umPhimbi, uGobandlovu (isiZulu); mmimbi (xiTsonga); mokongono, mokononga (siPedi)

Family: Clusiaceae

From time to time one reads of individualists doing strange things and calling it 'living art'. Here is a tree which produces very tasty fruit,...

02 / 04 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Gardenia cornuta

Common names: Tonga gardenia, Natal gardenia, horned gardenia (Eng.); wilde-appel, Tongakatjiepiering, Natalkatjiepiering (Afr.); umhlahle, unomphumela, umvalasangw

Family: Rubiaceae

The spectacular, large white and yellow flowers with their sweet scent, attracts passersby from a distance to this small, much-branched tree. The smooth,...

13 / 06 / 2005 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Gardenia thunbergia

Common names: white gardenia, forest gardenia, wild gardenia (Eng.), witkatjiepiering, buffelsbal, kannetjieboom (Afr.), umKhangazi (Xhosa), umValasangweni, umKhwak

Family: Rubiaceae

...

17 / 02 / 2003 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gardenia volkensii

Common names: bushveld gardenia, Transvaal gardenia (Eng.); Transvaalkatjiepiering, bosveldkatjiepiering, kannetjieboom, stompdoring (Afr.); morala (Northern-Sotho,

Family: Rubiaceae

The bushveld gardenia is a small, relatively slow-growing tree, ideal as a focus plant in summer rainfall gardens or on patios....

23 / 08 / 2010 | Hester Steyn | National Herbarium Pretoria

Garuleum bipinnatum

Common names: gifhoutjie, slanghoutjie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Garuleum bipinnatum flowers come in several colours and have bright yellow centres....

30 / 08 / 2010 | N Swelankomo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gasteria acinacifolia

Common names: coast ox-tongue (Eng.); kus-beestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria acinacifolia is the largest of all Gasteria species, strictly coastal and ideal for coastal gardens. It is at once recognized by its large rosette...

30 / 05 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gasteria armstrongii

Common names: flat-leaf gasteria (Eng.); platblaar-beestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria armstrongii is a dwarf aloe-like, succulent-leaved stone plant, endemic to the Renosterveld flats between Jeffreys Bay and the Gamtoos River...

30 / 05 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gasteria barbae

Common names: Hakerville gasteria

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria barbae is an exciting, new discovery confined to the coastal cliffs near Hakerville in the Knysna District. It has small rosettes of leaves covered...

31 / 03 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gasteria batesiana

Common names: wart-leaf gasteria (Eng.); knoppies-beestong (Afr.); indvololwane (siSwati)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria batesiana is a small charming species bearing rough tuberculata brittle leaves. It is ideal for containers in a shady spot. It is at once...

13 / 03 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gasteria baylissiana

Common names: Suurberg ox-tongue (Eng.); Suurberg-beestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria baylissiana is a beautiful, dwarf, aloe-like, succulent-leaved perennial, endemic to the rocky Wittetrivier Gorge (Suurberg) in the northwestern...

27 / 05 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

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