Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/12/2024

Eriosema umtamvunense

Eriosema umtamvunense
Common names: Umtamvuna eriosema
Family: Fabaceae

Eriosema umtamvunense is an erect perennial shrub, with densely hairy stems, leaves and pods, red and yellow flowers in summer, a horizontal woody rootstock,...

07 / 01 / 2019 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica grandiflora subsp. grandiflora

Erica grandiflora subsp. grandiflora
Common names: golden heath (Eng.); goueheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

A sturdy fynbos shrub with outstanding bright orange flowers at the hottest, driest time of the year....

11 / 02 / 2019 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia flanaganii

Euphorbia flanaganii
Common names: Transkei medusa’s head, Flanagan’s euphorbia (Eng.); vingerpol (Afr.); nhlehle, isihlehle (Zul.)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

...

04 / 03 / 2019 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG
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Encephalartos cerinus

Encephalartos cerinus (Willem Froneman)
Common names: waxen cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos cerinus is a small cycad with a subterranean stem that may be partly exposed when growing among rocks. Leaves and cones are covered by a...

11 / 03 / 2019 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Eucomis pallidiflora subsp. pole-evansii

Eucomis pallidiflora subsp. pole-evansii
Common names: giant pineapple lily
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This is the largest of all pineapple lilies in the world. The tall flower spike together with its long leaves, are the reason why it is so popular....

25 / 03 / 2019 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Entandrophragma caudatum

Entandrophragma caudatum
Common names: mountain mahogany, wooden-banana (Eng.); bergmahonie (Afr.); mophumêna (Tsw.); munzhounzhou (Ven.)
Family: Meliaceae

This is a semi-deciduous to deciduous tree, with pale green flowers and unusual banana-shaped, woody fruits. It is ideal for a medium to large-sized garden,...

15 / 04 / 2019 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia bupleurifolia

Euphorbia bupleurifolia
Common names: cycad spurge, pine cone plant (Eng.); melkbol (Afr.); intsele, insema (Xho.); inkamamasane, insema (Zul.)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Resembling a pine cone, pineapple or, some may say, a cycad, Euphorbia bupleurifolia is one interesting Euphorbia....

20 / 05 / 2019 | Sibahle Gumede | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Eucomis montana

Eucomis montana
Common names: montane pineapple flower
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This is one of the six bicoloured species of Eucomis and one of the few dwarf species, occurring in the Mpumalanga Province....

27 / 05 / 2019 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Elegia filacea

Elegia filacea
Common names: little golden curls
Family: Restionaceae

A magnificent small, upright, tufted restio that shows off its golden–tan sheaths and bracts in early to midsummer, and makes a spectacular filler...

03 / 06 / 2019 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Equilabium laxiflorum

Equilabium laxiflorum
Common names: citronella dutch-pipe-sage (Eng.); sitrinella-kromsteelpypsalie (Afr.); ubebebe (isiXhosa)
Family: Lamiaceae

An erect, easy-to-grow, aromatic, herbaceous shrub with decorative, light green foliage, suitable for planting in humid, moist and slightly shaded areas...

24 / 06 / 2019 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos msinganus

Encephalartos msinganus
Common names: Msinga cycad (Eng.); msinga-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

A medium-sized, glossy green cycad, that occurs in the Msinga area in KwaZulu-Natal; it grows in short grassland on steep north-facing slopes, often suckering...

15 / 07 / 2019 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Eucomis regia

Eucomis regia
Common names: western dwarf pineapple flower
Family: Hyacinthaceae

This is the only winter rainfall Eucomis and its flowering pattern is precisely opposite to all the other pineapple lilies. It is also one of the few species...

26 / 08 / 2019 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos aemulans

Encephalartos aemulans
Common names: Ngotshe cycad (Eng.); ngotshe-broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

An extremely rare cycad, which is endemic to South Africa, and known from a single mountain in the Vryheid District, in KwaZulu-Natal. Female and male...

16 / 09 / 2019 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Elegia persistens

Elegia persistens
Common names: handsome goldreed
Family: Restionaceae

 A very attractive, medium-sized, reed-like perennial, with golden-brown flower heads, that can be used to enliven any garden....

24 / 02 / 2020 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos ghellinckii

Encephalartos ghellinckii
Common names: Drakensberg cycad (Eng.); drakensbergbroodboom (Afr.); isidawu (Zul.); umguza (Xho.)
Family: Zamiaceae

The Drakensberg cycad should be not be confused with any other species because of its very narrow and exceptionally revolute leaflets, which are unique...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Elegia fenestrata

Elegia fenestrata
Common names: stream golden-reed
Family: Restionaceae

This rare restio has a spreading habit, thick, dark green culms (stems) with large, attractive, chestnut-brown sheaths (reduced leaves) at intervals up...

04 / 05 / 2020 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euchaetis albertiniana

Euchaetis albertiniana
Common names: Albertinia bearded buchu, Albertinia mothflower
Family: Rutaceae

An amazingly hardy, small shrub from the limestone fynbos. It’s a diehard and can last for years! This endangered shrublet is a useful filler for...

11 / 05 / 2020 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica curvirostris

Erica curvirostris
Common names: honey heath, honey-scented heath (Eng.); heuningheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

A small shrub, covered with masses of small, pale pink, bell-shaped, honey-scented flowers in late summer and autumn, the driest time of the year in the...

18 / 05 / 2020 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Eriosema preptum

Eriosema preptum (Photo Alison Young)
Common names: distinguished eriosema
Family: Fabaceae

A perennial herb with attractive yellow-orange flowers, that is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal. ...

25 / 05 / 2020 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Encephalartos nubimontanus

Encephalartos nubimontanus
Common names: blue cycad, cloud mountain cycad (Eng.); bloubroodboom (Afr.), isigciki-somkhovu (isiZulu); gebeleweni (siSwati)
Family: Zamiaceae

A stunning, desirable, fast-growing cycad, with beautiful, twisted, grey-blue leaves; illegal collecting of wild plants, because it is in high demand as...

17 / 08 / 2020 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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