Plants of the Week

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E.g., 22/12/2024

Gasteria glauca

Gasteria glauca in flower in cultivation at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Kouga River gasteria (Eng.); Kouga-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria glauca is a small aloe-like plant with highly succulent, glaucous (grey-green) leaves arranged in a dense rosette. It grows on cliff faces...

30 / 11 / 2009 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria excelsa

Gasteria excelsa in flower at Kirstenbosch, growing on a dry stone wall
Common names: thicket ox-tongue, regal ox-tongue (Eng.); ruigte-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria excelsa is a medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing triangular, spreading, ascending, dark-mottled green leaves and a dense panicle of pinkish...

11 / 06 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria ellaphieae

Gasteria ellaphieae in habitat at Kouga Dam.
Common names: Ellaphie's gasteria
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria ellaphieae is a dwarf aloe-like, succulent-leaved plant (rock crevice plant) endemic to the Kouga Dam region of the Eastern Cape Province....

18 / 04 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria doreeniae

Gasteria doreeniae growing in its natural habitat at Swartwaterspoort (E. Cape)
Common names: Doreen's gasteria (Eng); Swartwaterspoort-beestong (Afr)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria doreeniae is a dwarf aloe-like, succulent-leaved, cliff-dwelling plant (cliff hugger) endemic to the Swartwaterspoort of the Eastern Cape...

04 / 04 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria disticha

Gasteria disticha var. disticha growing in its natural habitat in Succulent Karoo vegetation near Robertson
Common names: Great Karoo ox-tongue (Eng.); grootkaroo-beestong, boesmanrys (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria disticha is a small aloe-like, succulent-leaved plant with leaves in two opposite rows and an elongated raceme with pinkish flowers, endemic...

30 / 07 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria croucheri

Gasteria croucheri flowers
Common names: forest gasteria, forest ox-tongue, Natal gasteria (Eng.); bosaalwee, oukossies, Natal beestong (Afr.); impundu, iqhomololo (isiZulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria are popular indoor, succulent, aloe-like plants and are easily grown. They are mainly from South Africa (one species just entering southern...

21 / 06 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria carinata

Gasteria carinata growing in its natural habitat (Near Bredasdorp, W. Cape)
Common names: Keeled ox-tongue, Bredasdorp gasteria (Eng.); Bredasdorp-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria carinata is a small to medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing triangular, mottled, channelled leaves and racemes of pinkish flowers during...

09 / 04 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria camillae

Gasteria camillae
Common names: camilla gasteria (Eng.); camilla-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria camillae is a slow-growing, dwarf succulent with light grey-green, spreading to recurved leaves in rosettes, proliferating from the base and eventually...

15 / 06 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria brachyphylla

Gasteria brachypylla growin near Oudtshoorn
Common names: Klein Karoo ox-tongue (Eng.); Klein Karoo-beestong, boesmanrys (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria brachyphylla is a medium-sized aloe-like, succulent-leaved plant with smooth leaves in two opposite rows and an elongated raceme with pinkish...

27 / 08 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana

Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana
Common names: dwarf ox-tongue, lilliput gasteria (Eng.), klein-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana is a rare, dwarf succulent perennial with leaves in a rosette. It is one of the smallest of the gasterias,...

09 / 09 / 2002 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria baylissiana

Flowering stem
Common names: Suurberg ox-tongue (Eng.); Suurberg-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria baylissiana is a beautiful, dwarf, aloe-like, succulent-leaved perennial, endemic to the rocky Wittetrivier Gorge (Suurberg) in the northwestern...

27 / 05 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria batesiana

Flowers of Gasteria batesiana
Common names: wart-leaf gasteria (Eng.); knoppies-beestong (Afr.); indvololwane (siSwati)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria batesiana is a small charming species bearing rough tuberculata brittle leaves. It is ideal for containers in a shady spot. It is at once...

13 / 03 / 2006 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria barbae

Gasteria barbae growing in crevice
Common names: Hakerville gasteria
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria barbae is an exciting, new discovery confined to the coastal cliffs near Hakerville in the Knysna District. It has small rosettes of leaves covered...

31 / 03 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria armstrongii

Gasteria armstrongii
Common names: flat-leaf gasteria (Eng.); platblaar-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria armstrongii is a dwarf aloe-like, succulent-leaved stone plant, endemic to the Renosterveld flats between Jeffreys Bay and the Gamtoos River...

30 / 05 / 2011 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria acinacifolia

Flowers
Common names: coast ox-tongue (Eng.); kus-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria acinacifolia is the largest of all Gasteria species, strictly coastal and ideal for coastal gardens. It is at once recognized by its large rosette...

30 / 05 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Garuleum bipinnatum

Garuleum bipinnatum plant
Common names: gifhoutjie, slanghoutjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Garuleum bipinnatum flowers come in several colours and have bright yellow centres....

30 / 08 / 2010 | N Swelankomo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Gardenia volkensii

Gardenia volkensii flowers
Common names: bushveld gardenia, Transvaal gardenia (Eng.); Transvaalkatjiepiering, bosveldkatjiepiering, kannetjieboom, stompdoring (Afr.); morala (Northern-Sotho,
Family: Rubiaceae

The bushveld gardenia is a small, relatively slow-growing tree, ideal as a focus plant in summer rainfall gardens or on patios....

23 / 08 / 2010 | Hester Steyn | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Gardenia thunbergia

Gardenia thunbergia
Common names: white gardenia, forest gardenia, wild gardenia (Eng.), witkatjiepiering, buffelsbal, kannetjieboom (Afr.), umKhangazi (Xhosa), umValasangweni, umKhwak
Family: Rubiaceae

...

17 / 02 / 2003 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gardenia cornuta

Flowers and fruit
Common names: Tonga gardenia, Natal gardenia, horned gardenia (Eng.); wilde-appel, Tongakatjiepiering, Natalkatjiepiering (Afr.); umhlahle, unomphumela, umvalasangw
Family: Rubiaceae

The spectacular, large white and yellow flowers with their sweet scent, attracts passersby from a distance to this small, much-branched tree. The smooth,...

13 / 06 / 2005 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Garcinia livingstonei

Fruits
Common names: African mangosteen (Eng.); Afrika-geelmelkhout (Afr.); umPhimbi, uGobandlovu (isiZulu); mmimbi (xiTsonga); mokongono, mokononga (siPedi)
Family: Clusiaceae

From time to time one reads of individualists doing strange things and calling it 'living art'. Here is a tree which produces very tasty fruit,...

02 / 04 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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