Plants of the Week

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E.g., 07/12/2024

Empodium veratrifolium

Star-shaped flower
Common names: West Coast star (Eng.); breëblaar sterretjie; Weskus sterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

The bright yellow West Coast star appears after the first good autumn rains, at a time when few other geophytes are in flower. It is easily grown in pots,...

09 / 10 / 2023 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Empodium elongatum

Empodium elongatum (David Styles)
Common names: autumn star
Family: Hypoxidaceae

Autumn stars, elusive among grasses, are spotted by their bright yellow starry flowers....

28 / 10 / 2013 | N Mahvungu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Empleurum unicapsulare

Empleurum unicapsulare
Common names: false buchu, river buchu (Eng.); bergboegoe, wildeboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Empleurum unicapsulare is a single-stemmed, evergreen shrub, which has a similar growth habit to a willow tree. It slender and upright growth form with...

19 / 06 / 2006 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elytropappus rhinocerotis

This plant is now called Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis....

25 / 09 / 2006 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elionurus muticus

Elionurus muticus spikelet. Photo Marinda Koekemoer
Common names: wire grass, wire lemongrass, lemon grass, lemon-scented grass, matrass grass, silky grass, simon grass, sour grass, wine grass (Eng.); elsgras, haasgr
Family: Poaceae

Elionurus muticus is an ornamental grass that forms dense tufts with wiry, narrow leaf blades and showy, curved inflorescences. This grass is easily distinguished...

01 / 08 / 2022 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Elephantorrhiza elephantina

Elephantorrhiza elephantina - an individual flowering branch projecting from the ground
Common names: eland's bean, eland's wattle, elephant's root (Eng.); baswortel, elandsboontjie, leerbossie, looiersboontjie, olifantswortel (Afr.); mupangara (Shona)
Family: Fabaceae

Underground trees might sound like a new environmentalist movement, but these fascinating plants do exist in reality. In more than one way, they've...

12 / 07 / 2010 | Alicia Grobler | Pretoria NBG
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Elephantorrhiza burkei

Elephantorrhiza burkei (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: elephant-root, sumach bean (Eng.); basboontjie, basbos (Afr.) lesitsane (Northern Sotho); mositsane, mosidi, mosidi-godimo, mosidi-mogolo (Tswana), ts
Family: Fabaceae

This low -growing tree boasts fragrant, creamy white to yellow flowers in early summer and can also be successfully grown in a container, as it has a non-aggressive...

18 / 09 / 2017 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia tectorum

Elegia tectorum
Common names: Cape thatching reed, deckreed (Eng.), dakriet, dekriet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

This restio makes a most attractive garden plant, and can be used for thatching....

13 / 08 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia stipularis

E. stipularis
Common names: cushion restio
Family: Restionaceae

Elegia stipularis is a colourful and delicate low-growing and water-wise restio that can be used to enliven any garden....

10 / 12 / 2007 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia spathacea

Elegia spathacea
Common names: pagoda goldreed (Eng.)
Family: Restionaceae

This is a small, aesthetic, slender plant, with striking tan-coloured spathes with reddish brown speckles, suitable for planting in containers....

19 / 04 / 2021 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch 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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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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Elegia grandispicata

Male in flower
Common names: none known
Family: Restionaceae

Elegia grandispicata is a restio with large golden inflorescences that seem to glow in the early morning light....

24 / 06 / 2013 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia fistulosa

Elegia fistulosa
Common names: Hollow Reed, Pypriet
Family: Restionaceae

Elegia fistulosa is a tall, grass-like plant, decorative nearly all year round, low-maintenance, easy and rewarding to grow....

12 / 11 / 2001 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch 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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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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Elegia equisetacea

Elegia equisetacea
Family: Restionaceae

This is an attractive reed-like plant with large, golden seed heads forming a bright patch in a garden where it will dance and whisper in the wind....

04 / 08 / 2003 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia cuspidata

Elegia cuspidata
Common names: blombiesie (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

At last, a restio that you will not struggle to identify! Elegia cuspidata has distinctive features and is suited for planting in a Cape Peninsula...

27 / 06 / 2011 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia capensis

Elegia capensis
Common names: horsetail restio (Eng.); besemriet, fonteinriet, katstert, kanet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

This restio is a tall, dark green, elegant plant with large, decorative, papery sheaths along the stems. It is a good feature plant next to a pond, a swimming...

09 / 02 / 2004 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia aggregata

Elegia aggregata
Common names: Hermanus riet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

Elegia aggregata is a tufted plant with attractive smooth stems. The stems are blue-green with dark brown inflorescences. This plant can be used in...

06 / 01 / 2014 | Zitobile Sikova | Kirstenbosch NBG
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