Plants of the Week

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E.g., 27/12/2024
E.g., 27/12/2024

Hygrophila auriculata

Hygrophila auriculata
Common names: marsh barbel (Eng.); kokilasha, gokulakanta, vayalchulli, neermulli (India); neeramulli (Sri Lanka); kulekhara (Bangladesh)
Family: Acanthaceae

Hygrophila auriculata is a spiny herbaceous shrub that grows in marshes and on the edges of water bodies; it has numerous medicinal uses, the leaves can...

26 / 02 / 2024 | Ziphezinhle Madonsela | Lowveld NBG
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Ledebouria venteri

Ledebouria venteri in habitat on a shale cliff on a farm along the Gouritz River
Common names: Gouritz cliff squill, Venter’s African hyacinth (Eng.); Gouritz krans-slangkop (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Ledebouria venteri is a cluster forming bulbous plant with pale green, uniformly coloured leaves in an apical rosette and a spreading inflorescence of...

26 / 02 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Buddleja dysophylla

Buddleja dysophylla flowers attract flying insects including bees
Common names: white climbing sagewood (Eng.), witranksaliehout (Afr.); umhlabangubo (isiXhosa)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

A large, scrambling shrub with showy heads of sweet-scented, white flowers in winter, that are visited by bees and butterflies....

04 / 03 / 2024 | Ofentse Naanyane | Free State NBG
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Ruschia promontorii

Ruschia promontorii in habitat flowering in spring
Common names: Peninsula cliff ruschia (Eng.); Skiereiland-kransvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The Peninsula cliff ruschia is a mat-forming leaf succulent which becomes pendent on cliffs. It is endemic to the Cape Peninsula, where it grows on sea-facing...

04 / 03 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Athanasia trifurcata

Athanasia trifurcata
Common names: trifid-leaf athanasia, coulter bush, klaas louw bush, three-tooth athanasia (Eng.), kouterbos, klaaslouwbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A fast-growing shrub with grey 3-forked leaves, displaying showy clusters of beautiful yellow flower heads in early summer, well suited for fynbos, renosterveld,...

11 / 03 / 2024 | Maria van der Westhuizen | Karoo Desert NBG
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Albuca bracteata

Albuca bracteata
Common names: pregnant onion, false sea onion, sea-onion (Eng.); witui (Afr.); umababaza (isiZulu); masxabana (isiXhosa)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A clump-forming bulbous geophyte with green and white flowers on tall stems during summer, the common name pregnant onion is derived from the onion-like...

11 / 03 / 2024 | Mlondi Sikhosana | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Ornithogalum longibracteatum

Common names: pregnant onion
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This plant is now called Albuca bracteata...

11 / 03 / 2024 | | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Delosperma frutescens

Delosperma frutescens in flower
Common names: dwarf tree mesemb, shrubby delosperma (Eng.); dwerg-boomvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The dwarf tree mesemb is a long-lived, slow-growing, ascending, much branched, tree-shaped mesemb with greyish, smooth stems, succulent greyish-green leaves...

18 / 03 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe chabaudii

Aloe chabaudii
Common names: Chabaud’s aloe, grey aloe, Dwala aloe (Eng.); grysaalwyn (Afr.); inhlaba (siSwati, isiZulu); inkalane (isiZulu); mangani (Tswana;) tshikhopha (Venda
Family: Asphodelaceae

Grey aloe is a water-wise garden plant which can be planted in a rockery garden and flower beds to add colour during the winter season. It is a stemless...

18 / 03 / 2024 | Itumeleng Machete | Pretoria NBG
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Acacia sekhukhuniensis

Common names: Sekhukhune Thorn
Family: Fabaceae

This plant is now called Vachellia sekhukhuniensis...

22 / 03 / 2024 | | Pretoria NBG
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Drosanthemum aasvoelbergense

Drosanthemum aasvoelbergense in flower
Common names: Aasvoelberg mesemb (Eng.); Aasvoelberg-douvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The Aasvoelberg mesemb is a rare endemic of the upper south-facing cliffs of the Aasvoelberg, north west of Willowmore in the Eastern Cape. The sprawling...

25 / 03 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vachellia sekhukhuniensis

Vachellia sekhukhuniensis
Common names: Sekhukhune thorn (Eng.), moletla (Sepedi)
Family: Fabaceae

Having the largest leaflets, that distinguishes it from all the vachellias, the Sekhukhune thorn is only known to occur in a small location in Sekhukhuneland...

25 / 03 / 2024 | Ntsakisi Masia | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Delosperma nubigenum

Delosperma nubigenum in flower at the Denver Botanic Gardens
Common names: cloud-born delosperma (Eng.), geel-kransvygie (Afr.); mabone, motabo (Sesotho)
Family: Aizoaceae

The cloud-born delosperma is a mat-forming leaf succulent which becomes pendent on cliffs. It is endemic to the Drakensberg and highlands of Lesotho where...

01 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Parinari capensis subsp. capensis

Parinari capensis subsp. capensis
Common names: dwarf mobola-plum, sand apple (Eng.); sandappeltjie, bosappeltjie, gruisappeltjie, grysappeltjie, witappeltjie (Afr.); murunda (Tshivenda), mobolo-oa-
Family: Chrysobalanaceae

A dwarf creeping tree of the South African grassland, Parinari capensis subsp. capensis, captivates with its diminutive stature and remarkable adaptability....

01 / 04 / 2024 | Mpho Mathalauga | Pretoria NBG
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Portulacaria carrissoana

Portulacaria carrissoana, Sierra Chamalinde, southwestern Angola
Common names: Angolan porkbush (Eng.), Angola-wolftoon (Afr.)
Family: Didiereaceae

Portulacaria carrissoana is an ascending shrub with rounded greyish-green succulent leaves, very small cream-coloured flowers on short racemes in late...

08 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cycnium racemosum

Cycnium racemosum
Common names: large pink ink plant, large mountain ink flower, large pink mushroom flower (Eng.); berginkplant (Afr.); injanga (isiXhosa); uhlabahlangane (isiZulu)
Family: Orobanchaceae

An attractive mountain plant found in grassland on rocky outcrops, with large fragrant pink flowers in summer to early winter. Flowers turn black when...

08 / 04 / 2024 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Ledebouria burkei subsp. stolonissima

Ledebouria burkei subsp. stolonissima
Common names: Lebowa African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

...

15 / 04 / 2024 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia

Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia
Common names: cape mountain marigold, chrysanth rain daisy (Eng.); geelbergmargriet, gousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca chrysanthemifolia is an upright shrublet with distinctive coarsely toothed leaves and magnificent large golden-yellow flowerheads which are...

15 / 04 / 2024 | Thaabiet Parker | Compton Herbarium
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Portulacaria longipedunculata

Portulacaria longipedunculata
Common names: Kaoko porkbush (Eng.), langblaarwolftoon (Afr.)
Family: Didiereaceae

Portulacaria longipedunculata is an ascending, slow-growing shrub with reddish to pale brown peeling bark and scar-like nodes from which small, linear...

22 / 04 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Clutia pulchella

Clutia pulchella var. pulchella growing in the Free State National Botanical Garden
Common names: common lightning bush, lightning bush, warty-fruited lightning bush (Eng); gewone bliksembos, oumeisieknie, weerligbos, vratjievrug-bliksembos (Afr);
Family: Peraceae

Clutia pulchella is easily distinguishable by its striking 'ladder-like', alternating arrangement of leaves, often with red leaves among the green....

22 / 04 / 2024 | Lungelo L. Sikhakhane | Free State NBG
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