Plants of the Week

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E.g., 04/12/2024
E.g., 04/12/2024

Streptocarpus confusus

Streptocarpus confusus (Cherise Viljoen)
Common names: Cape primrose (Eng.)
Family: Gesneriaceae

A unique species of the genus Streptocarpus, exhibiting two special subspecies of unifoliate and monocarpic characteristics, boasting a large leaf with...

12 / 03 / 2018 | Renira Boodhraj | CREW
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Heywoodia lucens

Heywoodia lucens, looking up the trunk into the canopy. (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: stink-ebony, Cape-ebony, foetid-ebony, black-ebony (Eng.); stinkebbehout, swartebbehout (Afr.); umnebelele (Xho.); umnebelele, ibeyana (Zul.)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

Cape-ebony or stink-ebony as it is also known, is a tall, evergreen tree and the only species in the genus Heywoodia; it is usually found growing in coastal,...

12 / 03 / 2018 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria koenii

A plant of Gasteria koenii with linear leaves, growing just above the stream bank of the Smitsrivier Gorge, on the southern foothills of the Osberg.
Common names: Osberg ox-tongue (Eng.); osberg-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria koenii is an exciting recent discovery, confined to the southern foothills of the Groot Swartberg, near Calitzdorp. The mottled, sickle-shaped...

05 / 03 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Rhynchosia adenodes

Rhynchosia adenodes (Christeen Grant)
Common names: monyamadi (Sesotho); ungazini (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

A bright yellow-flowered, indigenous, prostrate herb, with long trailing stems; its roots are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of rheumatism,...

05 / 03 / 2018 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Sida

Sida cordifolia
Common names: fanpetals, mallows, sidas (Eng.)
Family: Malvaceae

Sida’s weed-like habit and small flowers keep it away from the popularity enjoyed by its tropical splendour relative, the Hibiscus. The attraction...

26 / 02 / 2018 | Sushant Sharma | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Leucospermum gueinzii

Leucospermum gueinzii
Common names: kloof fountain-pincushion, kloof pincushion (Eng.); luisiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

An attractive shrub with bright green leaves tipped with red teeth, covered with yellow and orange flowers that change to crimson when mature....

26 / 02 / 2018 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stachys rugosa

Stachys rugosa (Adam Harrower)
Common names: grey tea stachys (Eng.); vaaltee, bojanntee, boesmantee, dassiekruie (Afr.); taraputsoe (SSo.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Spring flowering Stachys rugosa is a water-wise, ornamental, herbaceous perennial, with felted leaves that have a pungent aroma of pyrethrum or sheep dip,...

19 / 02 / 2018 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Neorautanenia ficifolia

Neorautanenia ficifolia
Common names: fig-leaf trailing pea (Eng.); blou-ertjie, wilde-pronkertjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

A beautiful herb, with attractive bright blue flowers and trailing stems up to 1.5 m long, from an extensive rootstock. It is easily propagated and thrives...

19 / 02 / 2018 | Tandiwe Nkonki | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ledebouria sandersonii

Ledebouria sandersonii
Common names: fairy African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

An attractive dwarf species with brightly coloured flowers, which makes an attractive pot plant or addition to a grassland garden. This widespread Ledebouria...

12 / 02 / 2018 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Stachys aethiopica

Stachys aethiopica
Common names: African stachys, wild sage (Eng.); katbossie, katpisbossie (Afr.);bokhatha, bolae-ba-litaola, likhobe-tsa-balisana (SSo.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Stachys aethiopica is a vigorous and versatile spring-flowering groundcover, suitable for sun to shade areas....

12 / 02 / 2018 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula cultrata

Crassula cultrata
Common names: bush plakkie, sharp-leaved crassula (Eng.); plakkiebos (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

A small, bushy succulent with attractive rounded leaves, often with reddish colouration, and yellowish flowers in midsummer; a low-maintenance plant that...

05 / 02 / 2018 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Asparagus aethiopicus

Asparagus aethiopicus
Common names: wild asparagus (Eng.); haakdoring (Afr.)
Family: Asparagaceae

A very important species as it is related to Asparagus officinalis, which is cultivated as a vegetable crop worldwide. This is a species that adapts very...

05 / 02 / 2018 | Livhuwani Auldrean Nkuna | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Crassula obovata var. dregeana

Crassula obovata var. dregeana
Common names: hairy crassula (Eng.); harige crassula (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

A succulent plant growing in crevices or in rocky grassland patches. It has small whitish flowers and fleshy leaves with peculiar hairs, giving it a soft...

29 / 01 / 2018 | Marianne le Roux | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Albuca lebaensis

Albuca lebaensis inflorescence.
Common names: Leba cliff albuca (Eng.); lebakransbol (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A rare endemic from cliffs adjacent to Leba Pass, near Lubango, in southwestern Angola. It has drooping leaves and a pendent inflorescence of densely packed,...

29 / 01 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Athanasia crithmifolia

Athanasia crithmifolia
Common names: samphire-leaf athanasia, thread-leaf klaas louw bush (Eng.); draadblaar-klaaslouwbos, klaaslouwbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A fast-growing herbaceous shrub with grey-green foliage and showy bright yellow flower-heads in early to midsummer; it’s easy to grow and water wise,...

22 / 01 / 2018 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus virgatus

Gladiolus virgatus (I. Ebrahim)
Common names: Helderberg Painted Lady
Family: Iridaceae

Lovers of the outdoors visiting Nature Reserves in the Boland mountains of the Western Cape, will often be enthralled by cheerful displays of pretty pink...

22 / 01 / 2018 | Gigi Laidler | CREW
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Struthiola striata

Struthiola striata
Common names: roemenaggie, katstertjie (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

A pretty shrub with four petaloid scales and cream-coloured flowers, honey-scented at night....

15 / 01 / 2018 | Thuli Makhoba | Compton Herbarium
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Duvernoia aconitiflora

Common names: yellow pistolbush, lemon pistolbush (Eng.); geelpistoolbos, lemoenpistoolbos (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Duvernoia aconitiflora is now called Justicia aconitiflora. ...

15 / 01 / 2018 | | Compton Herbarium
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Jamesbrittenia microphylla

Jamesbrittenia microphylla
Common names: purple phlox
Family: Scrophulariaceae

A striking plant with purple, star-like flowers, that are mostly present throughout out the year....

08 / 01 / 2018 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Raphionacme hirsuta

Raphionacme hirsuta
Common names: false gentian, khadi-root (Eng.); khadiwortel, khadi (Afr.); kherenchane (SSo.); intsema (Xho.); umathangane, umathanjana (Zul.)
Family: Apocynaceae

An attractive, small, summer-growing perennial, with a large, tuberous root and pretty starry flowers in shades of purple, mauve and white, in early summer....

08 / 01 / 2018 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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