Plants of the Week

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E.g., 22/12/2024
E.g., 22/12/2024

Protea cordata

Leaves and flowers: Photo Amida Johns
Common names: Heart-leaf sugarbush; hartblaarsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This little protea is something of a Cinderella before the glass slipper came her way. The flower heads growing at ground level are unobtrusive, small...

15 / 07 / 2013 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Searsia batophylla

Searsia batophylla
Common names: bramble currant (Eng.); braamtaaibos (Afr.)
Family: Anacardiaceae

The bramble currant is a shrub with conspicuously bicoloured (two-coloured), bramble-like leaves which make it easy to identify.This plant was previously...

08 / 07 / 2013 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Rhodocoma fruticosa

Rhodocoma fruticosa
Common names: kanet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

Rhodocoma fruticosa is a tough, water-wise restio, perfect to use in a dry fynbos garden....

08 / 07 / 2013 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Zaluzianskya capensis

Flowers open in evening
Common names: drumsticks (Eng.); verfblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Marsileaceae

This plant fills the evening air with a sweet fragrance that will give you joy from May to November. The flowers open towards the evening and remain open...

01 / 07 / 2013 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG
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Pelargonium multicaule

Flowers of Pelargonium multicaule
Family: Geraniaceae

A beautiful sprawling pelargonium with dark pink flowers, ideal for hanging baskets as well as a good ground cover....

01 / 07 / 2013 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euclea undulata

Branch with leaves
Common names: small-leaved guarri, common guarri (Eng.); kleinblaarghwarrie, gewone ghwarrrie (Afr.); bergebenholzstrauch (Ger.); gwanxe, inkunzane, umshekizane, um
Family: Ebenaceae

Euclea undulata is one of the most common small trees across the vast subtropical and central interior regions of southern Africa. It is a most variable...

24 / 06 / 2013 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Elegia grandispicata

Male in flower
Common names: none known
Family: Restionaceae

Elegia grandispicata is a restio with large golden inflorescences that seem to glow in the early morning light....

24 / 06 / 2013 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula tecta

Crassula tecta with old inflorescence
Common names: lizard skin crassula (Eng.); akkedisvel (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

A diminutive and attractive grey-leaved succulent that is easy to grow and makes a great pot plant....

17 / 06 / 2013 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Babiana hirsuta

Striking in flower
Common names: red babiana (Eng.); rooibobbejaantjie, rooihanekam, strandlelie, sandlelie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Babiana hirsuta is a striking, robust, geophytic perennial that produces brilliant but unusual recurved red flowers on long flowering stems....

17 / 06 / 2013 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Euphorbia virosa

Euphorbia virosa flowers
Common names: poison euphorbia (Eng.); Boesmansgif, boomgif, gifboom, noors, melkbos, naboom ( Afr.); nhlangaume (Shangana)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia virosa has a short twisted main stem with large branches emerging from it. The stems are 4- or 5-angled with a pair of thorns at the edges....

10 / 06 / 2013 | Z Kontsiwe | Karoo Desert NBG
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Drosera cuneifolia

Flower
Common names: peninsula sundew (Eng.); skiereiland sondouw, vlie & euml; vangertjie (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

Drosera cuneifolia is a winter-growing sundew that is restricted to the Cape Peninsula....

10 / 06 / 2013 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Streptocarpus aylae

Flower
Common names: Msikaba streptocarpus (Eng.); Msikaba tongviooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Gesneriaceae

This exciting ornamental, with its strap-shaped leaves in a central rosette and lilac to mauve bell-shaped flowers, was recently discovered and named from...

03 / 06 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dioscorea dregeana

Trifoliate leaves. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: wild yam (Eng.); wildejam (Afr.); ingcolo (Xhoza); isidakwa (Zulu)
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea dregeana is a perennial, twining, herbaceous creeper, up to 15 m long....

03 / 06 / 2013 | M Mashiane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Haemanthus crispus

Flower
Common names: crispy-leaved paintbrush lily
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A splash of brilliant red in autumn comes from this beautiful Cape bulb....

27 / 05 / 2013 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
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Gasteria baylissiana

Flowering stem
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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Selaginella kraussiana

Selaginella kraussiana
Common names: Krauss' spike moss, forest selaginella, spreading spike moss (Eng.); woud aarmos (Afr.)
Family: Selaginellaceae

Selaginella is the only genus in the family Selaginellaceae. These plants belong to the lycopods, one of the groups previously referred to as fern allies....

20 / 05 / 2013 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium
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Erica glandulosa subsp. glandulosa

Erica glandulosa subsp. glandulosa
Common names: glandulous heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica glandulosa is one of the hardiest and most dependable of the Cape heaths in mild temperate and Mediterranean style gardens....

20 / 05 / 2013 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Thorncroftia longiflora

Shrub in flower
Common names: None found
Family: Lamiaceae

Thorncroftia longiflora is both rare and remarkable. It is a versatile and attractive semi-succulent shrub which makes an excellent and showy garden...

13 / 05 / 2013 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Chlorophytum saundersiae

Plant in flower
Common names: weeping anthericum (Eng.); watergras (Afr.)
Family: Agavaceae

Chlorophytum saundersiae is a popular garden plant and is used extensively by landscape gardeners. It has a pleasing grass-like appearance making it a...

13 / 05 / 2013 | A Johannsmeier | Pretoria 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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