Plants of the Week

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E.g., 10/11/2024
E.g., 10/11/2024

Diospyros mespiliformis

Green fruits
Common names: African ebony, jackal-berry (Eng.); jakkalsbessie (Afr.); Musuma (Tshivenda); Mgula (Tsonga)
Family: Ebenaceae

Diospyros mespiliformis has a fantastic mutualism and symbiotic network with many living organisms, from human beings to small insects. There is a complex...

20 / 08 / 2007 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Diospyros lycioides

In fruit
Common names: bluebush, star-apple, monkey plum (Eng.); bloubos (Afr.); Muthala (Venda); Lethanyu (Tswana); Monkga-nku (Southern Sotho); Mtloumana (Northern Sotho);
Family: Ebenaceae

This exciting shrub or small tree is a very tough plant which grows well country-wide. Its most attractive features are its smooth bark, blue-green leaves,...

26 / 09 / 2005 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG
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Diospyros dichrophylla

Fruit
Common names: poison star-apple (Eng.); gifsterappel (Afr.); umnqandane (Zulu)
Family: Ebenaceae

Diospyros dichrophylla is not as well known as some of members of the genus such as the oriental persimmon (D. kaki ), a lovely edible fruit...

26 / 11 / 2007 | K Behr | Pretoria 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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Diosma prama

Diosma prama
Common names: Little Karoo bitter-buchu
Family: Rutaceae

Take a closer look at Diosma prama with masses of tiny creamy white flowers covering the entire bush during its winter flowering season. It creates a...

11 / 04 / 2005 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diosma oppositifolia

Flowers
Common names: bitter buchu (Eng.); bitterboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Diosma oppositifolia is an aromatic shrub with attractive foliage and a long flowering season; it is a useful filler shrub for fynbos and water-wise...

21 / 01 / 2008 | Justin Wigget | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diosma hirsuta 'Blue Downs'

Diosma hirsuta 'Blue Downs'
Common names: wild buchu (Eng.); rooiboegoe, wildeboegoe, Hottentotsboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Diosma hirusta ' Blue Downs' belongs to the Rutaceae family commonly referred to as the citrus family and is easily identified by the presence...

21 / 11 / 2005 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diosma haelkraalensis

Diosma haelkraalensis
Common names: Hagelkraal bitter-buchu (Eng.); Hagelkraal bitterboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

This extremely hardy buchu thrives in both alkaline and acidic soils of the fynbos, and flowers for much of the year....

24 / 07 / 2017 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diosma aristata

Diosma aristata (A.L. Schutte-Vlok)
Common names: Mossel Bay buchu, spear-leaf diosma
Family: Rutaceae

Diosma aristata is without a doubt the most threatened species in this enigmatic genus of plants. Buchus are well known for their medicinal qualities,...

07 / 05 / 2018 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Dioscorea sylvatica

Dioscorea sylvatica caudex
Common names: forest elephant’s foot, forest tortoise plant, elephant’s foot yam, wild yam (Eng.); olifantsvoet, skilpadknol (Afr.); nakaa, usikolipati (isiXhos
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea sylvatica, commonly known by the name of wild yam, is a slow-growing, caudiciform plant that has an interesting structure which gives it great...

07 / 08 / 2023 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Dioscorea strydomiana

Dioscorea strydomiana (Mervyn Lotter)
Common names: Ebutsini wild yam, Strydom's wild yam
Family: Dioscoreaceae

In a recent international publication the South African wild yam Dioscorea strydomiana was included among the world's 100 most threatened species....

18 / 03 / 2013 | Lize Von Staden | TSP
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Dioscorea elephantipes

Caudex showing interesting bark
Common names: turtle back, elephant's foot, Hottentots' bread
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea elephantipes is one of the most beautiful, weird and wonderful, caudiciform plants around! It has a deeply fissured surface, resembling...

25 / 04 / 2005 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Dioscorea dregeana

Trifoliate leaves. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: wild yam (Eng.); wildejam (Afr.); ingcolo (Xhoza); isidakwa (Zulu)
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea dregeana is a perennial, twining, herbaceous creeper, up to 15 m long....

03 / 06 / 2013 | M Mashiane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dioscorea brownii

Dioscorea brownii, male plant
Common names: none
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea brownii, a little known, unusual and rare member of the yam family is found only in southern KwaZulu-Natal. It is unique amongst the dioscoreas...

04 / 05 / 2009 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Dimorphotheca tragus

Dimorphotheca tragus
Common names: ox-eye daisy, Cape marigold, Namaqualand daisy, African daisy (Eng.); jakkalsbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A perennial herb, with thinly scattered, toothed leaves and bright daisy flowers, which create an attractive sight in spring....

31 / 10 / 2016 | Ramadimetja Junia Maleka | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dimorphotheca sinuata

Dimorphotheca sinuata
Common names: Namaqualand daisy, African daisy (Eng.); gousblom, jakkalsblom, botterblom, namakwalandse madeliefie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This showy annual creates sheets of brilliant orange when it flowers in Namaqualand in early spring, drawing visitors from near and far. This particularly...

08 / 07 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dimorphotheca pluvialis

Spring annuals at Kirstenbosch
Common names: rain daisy, Cape daisy, white Namaqualand Daisy, ox-eye daisy (Eng.); reënblommetjie, witbotterblom, witmargriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca pluvialis is always one of the first spring annuals to flower at Kirstenbosch....

21 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dimorphotheca jucunda 'White Moon'

Dimorphotheca jucunda 'White Moon'
Common names: White Moon Daisy (Eng.); Bergbietou, Bloubietou (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This striking groundcover is a delightful perennial with masses of large white daisy flowers throughout summer....

07 / 01 / 2002 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dimorphotheca jucunda

Striking purple flowers
Common names: trailing pink daisy, trailing mauve daisy (Eng.); bergbietou, bloubietou (Afr.); umasigcolo nkonekazi, u-Mesigcolo-nkonekazi (Zulu) (= Osteospermum ju
Family: Asteraceae

A mass of Dimorphotheca jucunda plants with their striking purple 'flowers' could create an illusion of a deep, dark pool with many hidden...

04 / 07 / 2005 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dimorphotheca fruticosa

Dimorphotheca fruticosa growing on the KwaZulu-Natal coast. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: trailing daisy (Eng.); rankmagriet, rankbietou (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Growing along the South African coastline, intermingled with a variety of species, Dimorphotheca fruticosa can be found displaying a beautiful carpet of...

21 / 08 / 2023 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG
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