Plants of the Week

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E.g., 21/12/2024

Strychnos madagascariensis

Strychnos madagascariensis tree
Common names: black monkey orange (Eng.); swartklapper, botterklapper (Afr.); Morapa (N Sotho); Nkwaka (Tsonga); Mogorwagorwana (Tswana); Mukwakwa (Venda); umGluguz
Family: Loganiaceae

Very often confused with Strychnos spinosa, S. madagascariensis is a single- or multi-stemmed tree with a spreading, irregular, angular canopy. It grows...

08 / 12 / 2008 | Marcini Govender | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Streptocarpus rexii

Streptocarpus rexii
Common names: wild gloxinia, twin sisters
Family: Gesneriaceae

Streptocarpus rexii is a neat, compact perennial herb with attractive white to blue/pale violet flowers, and makes a perfect indoor or shade plant. It...

08 / 12 / 2008 | Etienne Arendse | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strychnos decussata

Strychnos decussata growing in Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: Cape teak (Eng.); Kaapse kiaat (Afr.); umhlamahlala, umkhangele (Xhosa); umkhombazulu, umlahlankosi, umphatha-wenkosi (Zulu)
Family: Loganiaceae

Strychnos decussata is a handsome tree for the garden with an attractive shape....

01 / 12 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sphenostylis angustifolia

Sphenostylis angustifolia showing handedness
Common names: wild sweet-pea (Eng.); wilde-ertjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Sphenostylis angustifolia, or the wild sweet-pea, is a lovely green perennial shrublet with an extensive woody rootstock that decorates the Highveld with...

01 / 12 / 2008 | Alicia Grobler | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Euryops annuus

Euryops annuus flower
Common names: harpuisbos, kora (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

After good winter rains, Euryops annuus transforms the barren plains of the Tanqua Karoo into fields of yellow, dainty flowers. The plants of this genus...

24 / 11 / 2008 | Beate Hölscher | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crassula perfoliata var. minor

Crassula perfoliata var. minor in flower at Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: sickle-leaf red crassula, Eastern Cape red crassula (Eng.); sekelblaarplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula perfoliata var. minor is an attractive summer-flowering succulent with greyish-green, sickle-shaped leaves and red flowers in summer....

24 / 11 / 2008 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Streptocarpus cooksonii

Streptocarpus cooksonii
Family: Gesneriaceae

Unlike most other Streptocarpus species, this spectacular plant seems to enjoy the heat and strong light conditions found in the Tugela and Buffalo Rivers...

17 / 11 / 2008 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Leucadendron album

Leucadendron album female cone
Common names: linear-leaf conebush (Eng.); aarbeisilwertolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

An unusual conebush, with its velvety silver foliage, Leucadendron album is a striking mountain fynbos shrub....

17 / 11 / 2008 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica caffra

Erica caffra flowers
Common names: water heath, sweet-scented heath (Eng.); water-heide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

When walking along a stream or near a wetland on a warm day in spring or early summer, a strong sweet smell is sometimes the first indication that one...

10 / 11 / 2008 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Asparagus falcatus

Asparagus falcatus creeper
Common names: large forest asparagus, thorny creeper, sicklethorn, yellowwood asparagus (Eng.); doringtou (Afr.); imblekazana (isiZulu); ubulawu (isiXhosa)
Family: Asparagaceae

Asparagus falcatus is a robust thorny creeper that has attractive white flowers and red berries and will easily double as a safety hedge against unwanted...

10 / 11 / 2008 | Bernard Brown | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diospyros austro-africana

Dispyros austro-africana tree
Common names: fire-sticks, star-apple (Eng.); kritikom, jakkalsbos, vuurmaakbossie, kraaibessie (Afr.); liperekisi-tsa-makhoaba, senokonoko (South Sotho), umbhongis
Family: Ebenaceae

Diospyros austro-africana is a beautiful indigenous shrub or small tree that bears little cream, pink and even red lantern-like flowers. Not only attractive...

03 / 11 / 2008 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG
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Geissorhiza radians

Geissorhiza radians plants
Common names: winecups, satin flower (Eng.); kelkiewyn (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Looking much like half-full wine glasses, Geissorhiza radians lights up the veld in late spring, providing a spectacular but uncommon sight....

27 / 10 / 2008 | Gary Shanks | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pentarrhinum insipidum

Pentarrhinum insipidum
Common names: African heartvine (Eng.), donkieperske, hondepisbossie, opklim, wildekomkommer (Afr.), aulana, furana (Ndebele), umulugwe (Ndebele), leswa (Sotho)
Family: Apocynaceae

The leaves, stems and fruit of Pentarrhinum insipidum are widely eaten throughout Africa. It is an important wild vegetable and has the potential to be...

27 / 10 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG
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Hermannia pinnata

Hermannia pinnata flowers
Common names: orange hermannia/doll's rose (Eng.), kwasblaar kruip poprosie (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia pinnata is a decorative groundcover, covered in masses of honey-scented pale orange bells in early summer, and ideal for hanging baskets,...

20 / 10 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dianthus zeyheri

Dianthus zeyheri flowers.  Image Martin von Fintel
Common names: wild pink dianthus, African carnation (Eng.); grasangelier, wild-angelier (Afr.); iningizimu, isidala, umzima (isiZulu)
Family: Caryophyllaceae

This beautiful, hardy African carnation adds a mass of pink colour to the garden....

20 / 10 / 2008 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Flueggea virosa

Flueggea virosa leaves & fruit
Common names: white berry-bush (Eng.); witbessiesbos (Afr.); Mutangahuma (Tshivenda); Mpfalambati (Tsonga); Muhlakaume (Sotho)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

This African plant has become a problem plant in other parts of the world.© Geoff Nichols...

13 / 10 / 2008 | T Ratshibvumo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Atalaya alata

Atalaya alata foliage
Common names: Lebombo krantz ash (Eng.); Lebombo kransesseboom (Afr.); umzondo, umnondo (Zulu)
Family: Sapindaceae

Introduce a finer texture in your garden by planting Atalaya alata....

13 / 10 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Tritonia crocata

Tritonia crocata
Common names: Mossel Bay tritonia (Eng.) mosselbaaikalkoentjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Tritonia crocata is a striking, late spring and early summer-flowering plant with fiery orange or reddish orange flower sprays and a fan of short, lance-shaped...

06 / 10 / 2008 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Justicia flava

Justicea flava flowers
Common names: yellow justicea (Eng.); geelgarnaalbos (Afr.); impela (Zulu)
Family: Acanthaceae

Justicia flava is a ground cover which produces yellow flowers from September to May and is a good investment for a sunny spot in the garden....

06 / 10 / 2008 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Mundulea sericea

Mundulea sericea flowers and leaves
Common names: cork bush, silver bush, Rhodesian silver-leaf (Eng.); kurkbos, blou-ertjieboom, olifantshout, visboontjie, visgif, mangaanbos (Afr.); omukeka (Herero)
Family: Fabaceae

In a landscape characterised by grass and rock, all-year frost and drenching thunderstorms, Mundulea sericea stands out as the true star of the veld....

29 / 09 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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