Plants of the Week

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E.g., 09/11/2024
E.g., 09/11/2024

Dovyalis longispina

Dovyalis longispina
Common names: Coast Kei-apple (Eng), Kuskei-appel, Natalappelkoos (Afr.), umNyusa (isiZulu), imQokolo (isiXhoza)
Family: Salicaceae

‘The Dovyalis with the long spines’, that is how one can make sense of its botanical name. With its bright orange-red, edible fruits and very...

21 / 06 / 2021 | Mpho Mathalauga | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Pseudarthria hookeri

Pseudarthria hookeri
Common names: velvet bean, bug-catcher (Eng.); fluweelboontjie (Afr.); uphandosi, uqhonqo, uqwashu (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

This large shrub has vibrant, eye catching flowers in late summer. It earned the common name ‘bug-catcher’ because it is reputed to catch bedbugs...

21 / 06 / 2021 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Brunsvigia natalensis

Brunsvigia natalensis
Common names: Natal candelabra flower (Eng.); kandelaarblom (Afr.); umbhola (Zul.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking bulbous plant, endemic to southern Africa, with large umbels bearing 30 to 60, attractive, red or pale pink flowers....

14 / 06 / 2021 | Mulweli Maswoliedza | Compton Herbarium
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Diospyros natalensis

Diospyros natalensis
Common names: acorn jackal-berry, acorn diospyros, small-leaved jackal-berry (Eng.); akkerjakkalsbessie, fynblaar jakkalsbessie, smalblaarjakkasbessie (Afr); umhlay
Family: Ebenaceae

A beautiful, densely branched, evergreen shrub or small tree, with attractive, glossy, dark green leaves, small white flowers in spring and yellowish to...

14 / 06 / 2021 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Crassula capensis

Crassula capensis
Common names: Cape snowdrop (Eng.); skaamblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

A tiny deciduous perennial, with spectacular, snowy white, star-shaped flowers in winter....

07 / 06 / 2021 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG
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Chloris virgata

Chloris virgata
Common names: blue grass, feather finger grass, feathered chloris, hay grass, old land grass, sweet grass, white grass (Eng.); blougras, hooigras, katstertgras, klo
Family: Poaceae

Chloris virgata is a pioneer grass that grows on bare ground and is used as pasture and hay grass, commonly known as feather finger grass and distinguishable...

07 / 06 / 2021 | Creselda Nyeleti Shirinda | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Hessea speciosa

Hessea speciosa
Common names: coconut umbrella lily (Eng.); sambreeltjies (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking, small, bulbous plant with rounded heads of white or pink, coconut scented flowers in autumn, found in southern Namibia and the Northern Cape...

31 / 05 / 2021 | Bhongolethu Mtengwana | TSP
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Diascia mollis

Diascia mollis
Common names: trailing Transkei twinspur (Eng.); horingkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Sweet, rewarding, ground covering herbaceous perennial for both light-sunny and semi-shaded areas, adding bright colour to the garden and hanging baskets...

31 / 05 / 2021 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Staavia radiata

Staavia radiata
Common names: mini diamond eyes (Eng.); altydbos, altydbossie, glasogies (Afr.)
Family: Bruniaceae

A daisy-like fynbos shrub and a favourite in horticulture, with a good reputation, as it responds well to being trimmed and maintained, once propagated....

24 / 05 / 2021 | Siqamo Yeko | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbine latifolia var. curvata

Bulbine latifolia var. curvata
Common names: curved-leaf bulbine (Eng.); kromblaarkopieva (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine latifolia var. curvata has a solitary rosette of firm, linear-lanceolate, succulent leaves, distinctly curving downwards. It is a cliff-squatting...

24 / 05 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria inquinata

Ledebouria inquinata
Common names: wild African hyacinth (Eng.); bokhoe (Sesotho.); icubudwana (isiZulu.); inqwebebane, ubuhlungu (isiXhosa.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A dwarf bulbous plant with tapered green leaves, which are usually attractively spotted with dark brown spots and blotches. The bulbs are covered with...

17 / 05 / 2021 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Zanthoxylum humile

Zanthoxylum humile
Common names: hairy knobwood (Eng.); harige knophout, harige perdepram (Afr.); monokwane (Sepedi)
Family: Rutaceae

The hairy knobwood is dressed in a layer of short, grey hairs along its branches and armed with dark, sharp thorns, as if it is fully aware of its medicinal...

17 / 05 / 2021 | Lesiba Papo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Sesamum senecioides

Dicerocaryum senecioides
Common names: devil’s thorn, boot protectors, stud plant (Eng.); elandsdoring (Afr.); museto (Tshivenda)
Family: Pedaliaceae

A prostrate perennial, with annual creeping stems and white to pinkish flowers. It takes over open spaces in grassland and it is used as substitute for...

10 / 05 / 2021 | Meshack Nethavhani | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Didelta spinosa

Didelta spinosa
Common names: spiny salad bush (Eng.); perdebos, perdebossie, slaaibos, slaaibossie, t'arda (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Didelta spinosa is a fast-growing shrub or small tree with bright green leaves and large yellow flowers in winter and spring, that is drought-resistant...

10 / 05 / 2021 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Haworthiopsis tessellata

Haworthiopsis tessellata
Common names: veined haworthiopsis (Eng.); venstertjie (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This species forms small to large clumps of numerous, small plants made up of short, leafy stems. Its leaves are customarily dark green, more or less deltoid,...

03 / 05 / 2021 | Sihle Nqentsu | Pretoria NBG
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Helichrysum sutherlandii

Helichrysum sutherlandii
Common names: Sutherland’s everlasting (Eng.); molepelle, ntlo-ea mokhobane, senkotoana (Sesotho)
Family: Asteraceae

This is an attractive shrublet and an ideal ornamental garden plant because of its grey foliage....

03 / 05 / 2021 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbine thomasiae

Bulbine thomasiae
Common names: Mbashe bulbine (Eng.); mbashekopieva (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbine thomasiae is an obligatory cliff-hugger, with rosettes of dull green, soft, succulent leaves that grow from the shale cliff faces along the Mbashe...

26 / 04 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gerrardanthus tomentosus

Gerrardanthus tomentosus
Common names: hairy gerrardanthus
Family: Cucurbitaceae

An uncommon tendril climber, with dark green, triangularly lobed leaves and a large succulent caudex, that grows among boulders and stones, in moist, shaded...

26 / 04 / 2021 | Buyisiwe Dlwati | CREW
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Bulbine rupicola

Bulbine rupicola
Common names: dwarf cliff bulbine (Eng.); dwergkopieva (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

A dwarf cliff-hugger, with numerous dwarf rosettes of dull green, rounded, soft, succulent leaves from cliffs in the southwestern corner of the Eastern...

19 / 04 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia spathacea

Elegia spathacea
Common names: pagoda goldreed (Eng.)
Family: Restionaceae

This is a small, aesthetic, slender plant, with striking tan-coloured spathes with reddish brown speckles, suitable for planting in containers....

19 / 04 / 2021 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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