Plants of the Week

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E.g., 30/12/2024
E.g., 30/12/2024

Phyllanthus reticulatus

Phyllanthus reticulatus foliage
Common names: potato plant, roast potato plant (Eng); aartappelbos (Afr); intaba-yengwe, umchumelo (isiZulu); thethenya (xiTsonga)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

Phyllanthus reticulatus is usually a dense deciduous shrub or small tree with a distinct smell that is emitted by the minute flowers when they open...

21 / 06 / 2010 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pelargonium lanceolatum

Pelargonium lanceolatum
Common names: spear-leaved pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium lanceolatum is an excellent plant for a small rockery garden....

21 / 06 / 2010 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Calobota cytisoides

Calobota cytisoides inflorescence
Common names: bush ganna (Eng.), ganna, geelertjiebos, kristinabos (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Calobota cytisoides is an attractive, yellow-flowered shrub which is widespread in the Western Cape Province of South Africa....

14 / 06 / 2010 | S Boatwright | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Begonia dregei

Begonia dregei male flower
Common names: dwarf wild begonia, maple-leaved begonia, wild begonia (Eng.); wildebegonia (Afr.); iDlula (IsiZulu)
Family: Begoniaceae

Begonia dregei is a spectacular herbaceous, summer-flowering, shade-loving perennial that makes an excellent indoor display pot plant. It is an evergreen...

14 / 06 / 2010 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Marasmodes

Marasmodes undulata
Common names: autumn aster
Family: Asteraceae

The relatively unknown genus Marasmodes is confined to the lowlands of the south-western Western Cape and occurs in the critically endangered Renosterveld...

07 / 06 / 2010 | C Cowell | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe cryptopoda

Common names: tweekleur-aalwyn, geelaalwyn (Afrikaans)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe cryptopoda is a very attractive and unique species; it is a popular garden plant and provides a spectacular display when in full flower. It thrives...

07 / 06 / 2010 | Patrick Mtsweni | Lowveld NBG
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Erepsia pillansii

Erepsia pillansii shrublet
Common names: Piketberg vygie, Catherine wheel (Eng.)
Family: Aizoaceae

An erect shrublet with striking magenta and white flowers, Erepsia pillansii is endemic to the Piketberg Mountains....

31 / 05 / 2010 | C Cowell | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cenchrus ciliaris

Common names: foxtail buffalo grass (Eng.); bloubuffelgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

Cenchrus ciliaris is a perennial, tufted grass. The inflorescence is a bristly 'spike' (like a cat's tail) and is nearly always purple to...

31 / 05 / 2010 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Protea stokoei

Protea stokoei bush
Common names: pink sugarbush
Family: Proteaceae

The Cape Floristic Region is known for its extraordinary plant diversity and for the gems that can be found amongst it. One of these gems is Protea...

24 / 05 / 2010 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Plectranthus fruticosus 'Liana'

Common names: Liana spurflower (Eng.); muishondblaar (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A striking new cultivar with blue-mauve flowers for shade or semi-sun that will tolerate frost....

24 / 05 / 2010 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica nana

Common names: dwarf heath
Family: Ericaceae

As winter begins to loosen its grip in the Cape, spring is heralded by a magnificent profusion of sunshine yellow as Erica nana comes into flower....

17 / 05 / 2010 | Julia Dabush | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria ameliae

Barleria ameliae flowers and foliage
Common names: Amelia barleria
Family: Acanthaceae

If you are living in a subtropical area and looking for a fast growing, indigenous plant to solve your problem of planting open sunny areas in your garden,...

17 / 05 / 2010 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Erica psittacina

Erica psittacina flowers
Common names: Hlabeni heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica psittacina, discovered by chance in 2002 during an orchid field trip, is the most restricted Erica species in KwaZulu-Natal province....

10 / 05 / 2010 | Suvarna Parbhoo | CREW
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Aster laevigatus

Aster laevigatus flower head
Common names: Van Staden's aster
Family: Asteraceae

 Aster laevigatus is a little, white to mauve daisy first discovered in the early 1900's. Only a single specimen was taken to London and...

10 / 05 / 2010 | C Cowell | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senecio bryoniifolius

The Bryony-leaved flowering ivy
Common names: Bryony-leaved flowering ivy
Family: Asteraceae

The Bryony-leaved flowering ivy (Senecio bryoniifolius) is a succulent-leaved creeper from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal which shows promise as a...

03 / 05 / 2010 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mitriostigma axillare

Mitriostigma axillare illustration
Common names: dwarf-loquat (Eng.); dwerglukwart (Afr.) South African National Tree List no. 689.2
Family: Rubiaceae

With its green glossy leaves, white star-shaped flowers, bright orange fruits and sweetly fragrant aroma, this eye-catching small tree is undoubtedly a...

03 / 05 / 2010 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Pelargonium denticulatum

Common names: toothed-leaved pelargonium, pine-scented geranium, fernleaf geranium
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium denticulatum with its attractive, strongly scented leaves and pinkish purple flowers is an interesting addition to the mixed herbaceous border,...

26 / 04 / 2010 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Monsonia speciosa

Monsonia speciosa flowers
Common names: umbrella (Eng.); sambreeltjie (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

Monsonia speciosa is a hardy, summer-deciduous herb bearing masses of large showy pink flowers in spring (southern hemisphere)....

26 / 04 / 2010 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Elegia nuda

E. nuda mixed male and female plants
Common names: none known
Family: Restionaceae

Elegia nuda is a neat upright-growing restio. The light green stems (called culms) contrast well with the black flower heads, and planted en...

19 / 04 / 2010 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vachellia hebeclada subsp. hebeclada

Vachellia hebeclada foliage
Common names: candle thorn (Eng.); trassiebos (Afr.); mohae (S. Sotho)
Family: Fabaceae

This beautiful shrub to small tree is the most common naturally occurring vachellia in the Free State National Botanical Garden. It may reach up to 7 m...

19 / 04 / 2010 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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