Plants of the Week

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E.g., 04/12/2024

Zysmalobium involucratum

Flowers
Common names: scented xysmalobium (Eng.); hongersnoodwortel, hongersnoodbossie, melkbossie (Afr.); udambisomkhulu, udelunina (isiZulu)
Family: Apocynaceae

The long, narrow, green leaves make Xysmalobium involucratum inconspicuous in unburned grassy areas unless it is flowering. In grasslands that are grazed...

15 / 11 / 2004 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Zygophyllum

Zygophyllum foetidum
Common names: twinleaf, caper beans, dollar bush (Eng.); spekbossie, vaalkareedoring, witkriedoring (Afr.)
Family: Zygophyllaceae

Zygophyllum, a genus of rounded, many-stemmed dwarf shrubs, is characterised by flowers with five or four delicate yellow or white petals, often with...

30 / 03 / 2009 | Elizabeth Retief | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ziziphus zeyheriana

Ziziphus zeyheriana
Common names: dwarf buffalo-thorn, small buffalo-thorn (Eng.); klein-wag-'n-bietjie, haakdoringbossie, haakdorinkie, haakbessie, toon-wag-'n-bietjie, wag-'n-bietjie
Family: Rhamnaceae

Ziziphus zeyheriana or, as it is commonly known, dwarf buffalo-thorn, is an inconspicuous, stunted, woody shrub and, just like its relative the tree Ziziphus...

26 / 07 / 2021 | Thamsanqa Msweli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ziziphus rivularis

Ziziphus rivularis (Photo Geoff NIchols)
Common names: false buffalo-thorn, river buffalo thorn, river jujube (Eng.); rivierblinkblaar, vals-wag-’n-bietjie (Afr.); mukhalu-vhufa, mulalantsa (Tshivenda)
Family: Rhamnaceae

Ziziphus rivularis is drought-resistant and has attractive, glossy, olive-green foliage with variable venation, as well as an attractive grey stem. This...

08 / 07 / 2019 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ziziphus mucronata

Ziziphus mucronata
Common names: buffalo thorn (Eng.); blinkblaar-wag-'n-bietjie (Afr.); umphafa, umlahlankosi, isilahla (isiZulu); umphafa (isiXhosa); umlahlabantu (Swazi); mokgalo (
Family: Rhamnaceae

Ziziphus mucronata, or as it is more frequently known, the wag-'n-bietjie tree represents life as we know it. The young twigs are zigzag,...

23 / 04 / 2007 | N Mazibuko | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Zeuxine africana

Habit of Z. africana
Common names: None
Family: Orchidaceae

Zeuxine africana, listed as Endangered on the South African Red List, is only known from a single locality - the busiest port of southern Africa, Durban...

16 / 09 / 2013 | K Zulu | CREW
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Zanthoxylum humile

Zanthoxylum humile
Common names: hairy knobwood (Eng.); harige knophout, harige perdepram (Afr.); monokwane (Sepedi)
Family: Rutaceae

The hairy knobwood is dressed in a layer of short, grey hairs along its branches and armed with dark, sharp thorns, as if it is fully aware of its medicinal...

17 / 05 / 2021 | Lesiba Papo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Zanthoxylum davyi

Zanthoxylum davyi
Common names: forest knobwood, forest knobthorn (Eng.); bosperdepram, knopdoringhout (Afr.); umnugumabele, umnungwane, umnungwane omkhulu (isiZulu); tshamavhudzi, m
Family: Rutaceae

The forest knobwood tree, scientifically known as Zanthoxylum davyi, is a remarkable presence in southern African forests, with its its impressive height,...

06 / 05 / 2024 | Mpho Mathalauga | Pretoria NBG
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Zanthoxylum capense

Fruit of Zanthoxylum capense
Common names: small knobwood (Eng.); kleinperdepram (Afr.); umlungumabele (isiXhosa); umnungamabele (isiZulu); monokwane (Sotho); khunugumorupa (Tsonga)
Family: Rutaceae

A large number of Zanthoxylum species have been studied and most of them contain biologically active benzophenanthridine alkaloids. Of particular...

16 / 04 / 2012 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Zantedeschia odorata

Zantedeschia odorata in flower
Common names: scented arum (Eng.); soetvarkblom (Afr.)
Family: Araceae

Zantedeschia odorata is a rare, winter-growing, white arum with a moderately sweet scent and attractive, arrow-shaped leaves. With careful attention to...

01 / 12 / 2014 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Zantedeschia aethiopica

Zantedeschia aethiopica
Common names: White or common arum lily (English); wit varkoor (Afrikaans); intebe (Xhosa) ihlukwe (Zulu)

Zantedeschia aethiopica is an old fashioned, but very rewarding garden plant....

05 / 11 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Zantedeschia

Zantedeschia cut flowers
Common names: arum lilies, calla lilies, pig lily (Eng.); varkblom (Afr.)
Family: Araceae

Clump-forming perennials, cherished around the globe for their lush foliage and ornate blooms of white, yellow, pink and red....

19 / 11 / 2012 | Yashica Singh | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Zaluzianskya villosa

Zaluzianskya villosa
Common names: downy drumsticks (Eng.); verfblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

These small, dainty, white to mauve flowered annuals can be seen in spring and early summer in the Western Cape of South Africa. Unlike Zaluzianskya capensis,...

11 / 12 / 2023 | Karen Wall | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Zaluzianskya microsiphon

Zaluzianskya microsiphon
Common names: two-lipped drumsticks (Eng.); malthungthung (Southern Sotho)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

A day-flowering species with strongly zygomorphic, unscented flowers....

04 / 01 / 2021 | Xichavo Mathebula | Compton Herbarium
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Zaluzianskya capensis

Flowers open in evening
Common names: drumsticks (Eng.); verfblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Marsileaceae

This plant fills the evening air with a sweet fragrance that will give you joy from May to November. The flowers open towards the evening and remain open...

01 / 07 / 2013 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG
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