Plants of the Week

Hemarthria altissima

Common names: red vlei grass, Batavian quick grass, red swamp grass, swamp couch (Eng.); Bataviese kweek, perdegras, perdekweek, rooikweek, rooivleigras (Afr.); mar

Family: Poaceae

Red vlei grass can be recognised easily from other grasses, because the whole plant has a distinctive rust-red colour. It has a mat forming habit, which...

| Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Faurea macnaughtonii

Common names: Terblans, Terblans beechwood, Egossa beech, Macnaughton's beech (Eng.); terblans, terblanshout, egossabeukehout, bosboekenhout, rooiboekenhout (Afr.);

Family: Proteaceae

Rising tall and graceful in South Africa’s deep forests, Faurea macnaughtonii is a rare evergreen whose glossy leaves, sweetly scented summer blooms,...

| Siphesihle Precious Sibiya | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cryptocarya myrtifolia

Common names: myrtle quince, myrtle-leaved wild-quince, camphor wild-quince, wild camphor tree, camphor laurel (Eng.); mirtekweper, wildekanferboom (Afr.); umgqebe,

Family: Lauraceae

Amongst the seven species of Cryptocarya in South Africa, Cryptocarya myrtifolia is one of the rarest. It is an attractive and distinctive, evergreen tree...

| Mfundo Mkungo | Kirstenbosch NBG

Combretum afrum

Common names: Eastern Cape bushwillow (Eng.); Kaapse vaderlandswilg (Afr.); umdubu (isiXhosa); umdubu (isiZulu)

Family: Combretaceae

A graceful, spreading tree, known for its attractive willow-like foliage, distinctive 4-winged reddish-brown fruits, and adaptability to a range of ecological...

| Clara Sitoe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Alepidea macowanii

Common names: Amathole alepidea, MacOwan’s alepidea (Eng.); kalmoes (Afr.); ikhatazo (isiZulu); inkatazo, iqwili (isiXhosa)

Family: Apiaceae

Alepidea macowanii is a robust, perennial herb known for its hollow, grooved, branched stem and thick, aromatic rootstock. It has basal leaves arranged...

| Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Uvaria afra

Common names: small-fruited cluster-pear, small cluster pear, (Eng.), kleinvrugtrospeer, kleintrospeer (Afr.), idwaba (isiXhosa), inkonjane, umazwenda omnyama, umaz

Family: Annonaceae

...

| Umpha Pharamela | National Herbarium Pretoria

Carpobrotus deliciosus

Common names: delicious sour fig, sweet sour fig (Eng.); suurvy, perdevy, gaukum (Afr.); igcuthuma (Xho.)

Family: Aizoaceae

A flat-growing, rapidly spreading, evergreen, succulent-leaved perennial with large, purple-pink flowers in spring and edible fruits, Carpobrotus deliciosus...

| Anam Cimi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Grewia afra

Common names: climbing raisin, yellow starflower (Eng.); rankrosyntjie (Afr); ilalanyathi, umunyumunu, iphata, iklolo, isaka, isilandula (isiZulu); likholo, (siSwat

Family: Malvaceae

A multi-stemmed shrub or small tree with a climbing habit, often seen sprawling into nearby plants for support. It bears striking, yellow, star-like flowers...

| Robert Jooste | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ximenia americana var. microphylla

Common names: small blue sourplum (Eng.); kleinblousuurpruim (Afr.); ukolotshane, umtunduluka-omncane, umkholotshwana (Zul.);umtfundvuluka, umthunduluka (Swa.); nt

Family: Olacaceae

A spiny shrub of African savannas that bears brightly coloured, edible fruits, and has a long history of medicinal value for traditional healers and western...

| Mpho Mathalauga | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Berkheya setifera

Common names: buffalo-tongue thistle (Eng.); rasperdissel, rasperdisseldoring (Afr); ikhakhasi, ulimi-lwenkomo, ulimi-lwenyathi (isiZulu); indlebe-lenkomo (isiXhosa

Family: Asteraceae

A robust perennial, with profuse, bright yellow flowers and bristly leaves; one of the 71 species that are found in South Africa out of the 75 species...

| Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Sansevieria hallii

Common names: sickle-leaf mother-in-law’s-tongue (Eng.); sekelblaar-skoonma-se-tong (Afr.)

Family: Ruscaceae

Sansevieria hallii represents a rare succulent, with mottled, sickle-shaped leaves and beautiful white flowers. It is confined to the northeastern parts...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia caffra

This tree is now called Senegalia caffra...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Calopsis paniculata

See Restio paniculatus....

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia tortilis

See Vachellia tortilis...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia polyacantha

See Senegalia polyacantha...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia xanthophloea

See Vachellia xanthophloea...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia erioloba

See Vachellia erioloba...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia ataxacantha

See Senegalia ataxacantha...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Scilla natalensis

This plant is now called Merwilla plumbea....

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Searsia chirindensis

Common names: red currant (Eng.); bos-taaibos (Afr.); motha-thaa (North Sotho); umhlakothi (Xhosa); inhlokoshiyane enkulu (Xhosa); muvhadela-phanga (Venda)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The red currant, Searsia chirindensis, is an attractive, African tree with lovely reddish autumn foliage. It is common throughout the eastern part...

| Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Browse through all previous entries of Plants Of The Week

Pages

Pages