Plants of the Week

Adromischus diabolicus

Common names: Gariep adromischus (Eng.), Gariepnenta (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus diabolicus is a rare, cliff-hugging succulent from the Northern Cape. The plants are dwarf, rosulate, leaf and stem succulents forming small...

27 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenopodia spicata

Common names: spiny splinter bean (Eng.); stekelsplinterboontjie (Afr.); lugagane (siSwati); umlungumabele (isiXhosa); ibobo, ubobo, umbambangwe, umlungumabele (isi

Family: Fabaceae

It's spiny all over, and the whip-like young stems lean out into the path and make themselves felt by the unwary. Meet the spiny splinter bean, a characteristic...

14 / 05 / 2012 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Adenium swazicum

Common names: summer impala lily, Swazi lily (Eng.); somerimpalalelie, Swazi-lelie (Afr.); sisila-sempala (SiSwati)

Family: Apocynaceae

A dwarf, succulent shrub with pretty, lily-like, pink flowers borne on thick branches from late summer to autumn; a good rockery plant and a useful medicinal...

12 / 06 / 2017 | Mufhati Bulannga | Lowveld NBG

Adenium multiflorum

Common names: impala lily, Sabie star, kudu lily (Eng.); impalalelie (Afr.)

Family: Apocynaceae

Adenium multiflorum is the best known of the South African adeniums. It flowers in winter when most of the surrounding vegetation is rather dull by comparison...

28 / 06 / 2004 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Adenium

Common names: A. boehmianum : pylgif (Afr.); ouzuwo (Herero). A. multiflorum : impala lily, Sabi star, kudu lily ( Eng. ); impalalelie (Afr.). A. obesum : desert ro

Family: Apocynaceae

Adeniums, which all have poisonous sap, produce flowers in striking reds, pinks and mauves; red-and-white bicoloured flowers are fairly common. They are...

18 / 06 / 2007 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG

Adenia spinosa

Common names: spiny greenstem, elephant’s foot (Eng.); tshivhuyu-dumbu (Tshivenda)

Family: Passifloraceae

In the far north of South Africa grows a very special, ancient-looking plant with a stem resembling an elephant’s foot. In our neighbouring country,...

30 / 04 / 2018 | Livhuwani Auldrean Nkuna | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Adenia gummifera

Common names: snake-climber, monkey rope, gummy adenia (Eng.); impinda, impindamshaye, umphindamshaya, imfulwa (isiZulu); slangklimop (Afr.)

Family: Passifloraceae

A large, attractive, woody geophyte which often climbs into other plants, holding on by means of tendrils. Stems are bright green, with kidney-shaped and...

13 / 02 / 2023 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Adenia glauca

Common names: blue leaved elephant’s foot (Eng.); bobbebjaangif (Afr.)

Family: Passifloraceae

The oddly shaped, swollen stem and twining vines of Adenia glauca can be seen growing in the driest parts of southern Africa. Its soft greyish green, palmately-shaped...

16 / 03 / 2020 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenia fruticosa subsp. fruticosa

Common names: Sekhukhune greenstem, greenstem (Eng.); sekoekoenie-bobbejaangif (Afr.).

Family: Passifloraceae

Adenia fruticosa is one of the succulent plants that is easily recognised by its very attractive, tuberous, swollen, green stem, sometimes splitting into...

27 / 12 / 2021 | Nomndeni Nkosi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenandra uniflora

Common names: china flower, shepherd's delight (Eng.); Kommetjie teewater, bergskaapboegoe (Afr.)

Family: Rutaceae

...

11 / 08 / 2003 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenandra obtusata

Common names: Agulhas china flower

Family: Rutaceae

Showy, white flowers that shimmer in the sun brighten up this evergreen shrub and attract insects, butterflies and bees to your garden. Belonging to the...

02 / 05 / 2005 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adenandra gummifera

Common names: Potberg china flower, gummy china flower (Eng.); Potberg-porseleinblom (Afr.)

Family: Rutaceae

A beautiful, aromatic, fynbos shrub with showy white porcelain-like flowers in winter and spring....

07 / 08 / 2006 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Adansonia digitata

Common names: baobab, Cream of Tartar tree, monkey-bread tree, lemonade tree (Eng.); kremetartboom(Afr.); isimuku, umShimulu, isiMuhu (Zulu); ximuwu (Tsonga); mowan

Family: Malvaceae

Regarded as the largest succulent plant in the world, the baobab tree is steeped in a wealth of mystique, legend and superstition wherever it occurs in...

10 / 02 / 2003 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Acridocarpus natalitus

Common names: moth-fruit, the binder (Eng.); motvrug (Afr.); umabophe, umabophawentaba, umabopha and ihlalanyosi (isiZulu)

Family: Malpighiaceae

Its beautiful flowers and fruit make this evergreen shrub or small tree an appealing garden subject which should be in most gardens in the warmer and coastal...

20 / 06 / 2005 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Acorus calamus

Common names: sweet-flag (Eng.); makkalmoes (Afr.); ikalamuzi (Zulu)

Family: Acoraceae

Acorus calamus is a reed-like, aquatic plant with a pungent smell that has been used medicinally since biblical times. It has many traditional uses all...

07 / 03 / 2005 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG

Acokanthera oppositifolia

Common names: Bushman's Poison; Boesmansgif (Afrikaans); inHlungunyembe (Zulu); iNtlungunyembe (Xhosa)

Family: Apocynaceae

The Bushman's poison is a medium to large woody shrub with attractive hard dark green leaves. ...

27 / 08 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Acokanthera oblongifolia

Common names: dune poison-bush (Eng.), duinegifboom, gewone gifboom (Afr.) inhlungunyembe, ubuhlungu-benyoka, umhlangashiso (isiZulu), intlungunyembe, inxinebe (isi

Family: Apocynaceae

Beautiful white and sweetly scented flowers followed by large, red to purple fruits which turn purple-red to black when mature, but an extremely poisonous...

31 / 07 / 2017 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acmadenia trigona

Common names: Langeberg porcelain flower (Eng.); Langeberg-boegoe (Afr.)

Family: Rutaceae

Acmadenia trigona, from the winter rainfall region, forms an upright shrub with spreading branches. It grows 0.3-0.7 m high. It is a single stem at the...

18 / 08 / 2008 | Norma Lucas | Kirstenbosch NBG