Plants of the Week

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E.g., 31/12/2024
E.g., 31/12/2024

Oncosiphon suffructicosum

Stalk of Oncosiphon suffructicosum
Common names: stinkingweed (Eng.); stinkkruid, wurmkruid, wurmbos, miskruid (Afr.); Calomba daisy (Australia), shrubby mayweed (USA).
Family: Asteraceae

Oncosiphon suffruticosum is an aromatic annual with masses of bright yellow flower heads, and is an important Cape herbal medicine....

07 / 11 / 2011 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
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Salvia albicaulis

Flowers
Common names: white-stemmed sage (Eng.); witstingelsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A white stemmed shrub for sunny spots, which contrasts well with many other fynbos plants....

07 / 11 / 2011 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kumara haemanthifolia

Kumara haemanthifolia
Common names: haemanthus-leaf aloe
Family: Asphodelaceae

Kumara haemanthifolia is a peculiar and interesting aloe. Its tightly arranged leaves with red to pinkish margins resemble a fan or the pages of a partly...

14 / 11 / 2011 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Protea rubropilosa

Flowerhead
Common names: transvaal sugarbush, transvaal mountain protea, red velvet protea, escarpment protea (Eng.); transvaalbergsuikerbos (Afr.); segwapi (Sotho)
Family: Proteaceae

The transvaal sugarbush is a striking protea. It has a neat habit and provides year round interest in the garden....

14 / 11 / 2011 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe haemanthifolia

This plant is now called Kumara haemanthifolia....

14 / 11 / 2011 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Harveya squamosa

Harveya squamosa
Common names: None recorded
Family: Orobanchaceae

Harveya squamosa is a strange root parasite, commonly seen with the whole plant coloured a glorious red to orange or, rarely, all sulphur yellow,...

21 / 11 / 2011 | J Ready | Pretoria NBG
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Watsonia vanderspuyiae

Watsonia vanderspuyiae
Common names: bergsuurkanol (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Watsonia vanderspuyiae is a robust geophyte with bright red tubular flowers. It attracts sunbirds and is an ideal candidate for large fynbos gardens,...

21 / 11 / 2011 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica shannonii

Erica shannonii
Common names: bottle heath, Countess of Shannon's erica (Eng.); bottelheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica shannonii is one of the most spectacular ericas with its long porcelain-white flowers arranged in clusters at the ends of its branches....

28 / 11 / 2011 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haemanthus canaliculatus

Haemanthus canaliculatus
Common names: channel-leaved haemanthus
Family: Amaryllidaceae

In late summer or early autumn, after fires have swept through some of the swampy areas near the sea in the Hangklip area, you may be lucky enough to see...

28 / 11 / 2011 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica clavisepala

Erica clavisepala flowers and leaves
Common names: club heath, Cape Point marsh heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica clavisepala is a rare decorative little heath, well suited to fynbos gardens and those on the sandy flats....

05 / 12 / 2011 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Withania somnifera

Withania somnifera leaves and fruit
Common names: winter cherry (Eng.); bitterappelliefie, geneesblaarbossie, koorshout (Afr.); bofepha (Sotho); ubuvuma (Xhosa); ubuvimbha (Zulu); ashwagandha (Hindi).
Family: Solanaceae

Fruits of this plant were found in a floral collar of the innermost coffin of Pharaoh Tutankhamun. (Mabberley 2008 : 911)....

05 / 12 / 2011 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloe chlorantha

A group of Aloe chlorantha plants in flower
Common names: Fraserburg aloe, green-flower aloe (Eng.); Fraserburgaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe chlorantha is a medium-sized aloe from Fraserburg in the Karoo, at once distinguished by its erect solitary inflorescence, up to 1.6 m high,...

12 / 12 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senecio macrocephalus

Senecio macrocephalus
Common names: ngoakoane-ea-loti, sebea-mollo (South Sotho); ihlaba lenkomo (Xhosa); mountain senecio (Eng.)
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio macrocephalus is one of the first large pink-flowered senecios to flower in the grassveld in early spring and often shows up as large patches...

12 / 12 / 2011 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Barleria senensis

Barleria senensis
Common names: none recorded
Family: Acanthaceae

A hardy indigenous plant suitable for any sunny spot in your garden....

19 / 12 / 2011 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Coleus grandidentatus

Coleus grandidentatus
Common names: big-teeth coleus, scented-leaf coleus (Eng.); groottandsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

...

19 / 12 / 2011 | Kyle Smith | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Citrullus lanatus

Fruits
Common names: tsamma melon, wild watermelon (Eng.); bitterboela, bitterwaatlemoen, karkoer (Afr.); t'sama (Khoisan); makataan (Tswana)
Family: Cucurbitaceae

...

26 / 12 / 2011 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Lachenalia lutea

Lachenalia lutea
Common names: common dwarf yellow viooltjie
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Lachenalia lutea is a heavily sweet-scented indigenous hyacinth with pale to bright yellow flowers....

26 / 12 / 2011 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Coddia rudis

Coddia rudis
Common names: small bone apple (Eng.); kleinbeenappel (Afr.); umDondwane (Zulu); siKhwakhwane (Siswati); tshinapanapana (Venda)
Family: Rubiaceae

Coddia rudis is usually a short, aromatic, evergreen, dense, multi-stemmed and fairly fast growing shrub....

31 / 12 / 2011 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Leucadendron strobilinum

Red leaf tips
Common names: Peninsula conebush
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron strobilinum is an eye-catching shrub that is ideal for display in a fynbos garden....

02 / 01 / 2012 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ruschia maxima

Ruschia maxima
Common names: giant mountain vygie (Eng.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Ruschia maxima is one of the largest species in its genus. It has characteristically larger leaves than most other vygies and is crowned as the giant...

02 / 01 / 2012 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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