Plants of the Week

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E.g., 07/10/2024
E.g., 07/10/2024

Paranomus bracteolaris

Paranomus bracteolaris
Common names: Bokkeveld sceptre, smooth-leaved tree-sceptre (Eng.); bokkeveld-septerboom, afveebos, balbyterbos, haakbos, heuningbos, kloofbesem, perdebos, sousbos,
Family: Proteaceae

One of the common sceptres, it produces a single leaf form, a dissected leaf, over the entire plant, and purple to pink flowers with a faint sweet scent...

10 / 12 / 2018 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pappea capensis

Pappea capensis fruit
Common names: jacket plum, Indaba tree, bushveld cherry (Eng.); doppruim (Afr.); umqhokwane, umvuna, indaba (Zulu); ilitye, umgqalutye (Xhosa); mongatane, mopsinyug
Family: Sapindaceae

The red fruit of this tree is a tasty treat for humans and a firm favourite with birds and animals. A fine oil is extracted from the seeds. The jacket...

07 / 06 / 2004 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Papaver aculeatum

Papaver aculeatum flower. Photo SAplants
Common names: bristle poppy, orange poppy (Eng.); doringpapawer, koringpapawer, wildepapawer (Afr.); sehlohlo (South Sotho)
Family: Papaveraceae

Papaver aculeatum is an attractive, orange- or pinkish-orange-flowered annual, and the only poppy endemic to the southern hemisphere. It makes an attractive...

22 / 07 / 2019 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Panicum maximum

Panicum maximum
Common names: Guinea grass (Eng. ); blousaad soetgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

This tufted grass species is highly palatable and attracts many seed-eating birds to the garden. It is regarded as the most valuable fodder plant and is...

21 / 11 / 2005 | Linette Ferreira | Pretoria NBG
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Pachypodium succulentum

Pachypodium succulentum
Common names: star-flower thick-foot, porcupine-kambroo (Eng.); bergkambroo, bobbejaankambroo, bobbejaankos, ystervarkkambroo, ystervarkkos, dikvoet (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

A slow-growing shrublet characterized by its unusual thickened, underground, water-storing, tuberous stem, which helps the plant to survive during drought...

07 / 01 / 2019 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Pachypodium saundersii

Pachypodium saundersii
Common names: kudu lily, rathbonia (Eng.); koedoelelie (Afr.); isihlehle, insema-yamatshe (isiZulu); sikhubakhuba, ligubaguba (siSwati).
Family: Apocynaceae

A low succulent shrub with a large tuberous stem up to 1 m in diameter, mostly above ground and often irregularly shaped, few spiny branches and showy...

20 / 05 / 2024 | Khanyisile Nkosi | Pretoria NBG
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Pachypodium namaquanum

Pachypodium namaquanum
Common names: elephant's trunk (Eng.); halfmens (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Pachypodium namaquanum must rate as the most sought-after and popular of all large succulents from the arid Northern Cape and southern Namibia,...

04 / 06 / 2007 | Olivia Pekeur | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pachypodium bispinosum

Pachypodium bispinosum flowers. Photo Jenny Potgieter
Common names: bell-flower thick-foot (English), bobbejaankos, kafferkambroo, kragman, sterkman, dikvoet (Afrikaans)
Family: Apocynaceae

A spiny succulent plant that shows off with bell-shaped, purple to pink, sometimes white flowers in spring and early summer....

20 / 02 / 2023 | Sisipho Mqungguthu | Karoo Desert NBG
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Pachypodium

Pachypodium species
Common names: P. baronii var. windsorii : none; P. * bispinosum : bobbejaankos, kragman, sterkman, kamoa (Afr.); P. densiflorum var. densiflorum, P. geayi, P. horom
Family: Apocynaceae

Pachypodiums are caudiciform succulents and many of the species produce spectacular flowers. They exhibit a wide range of bizarre growth forms, from bottle-,...

10 / 12 / 2007 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pachycarpus schinzianus

Flowers of P.schinzianus
Common names: cream cups (Eng.); bitterwortel (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

In spring and summer Pachycarpus schinzianus and Xysmalobium undulatum are the two largest and most readily distinguished asclepiads in the grasslands...

21 / 01 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pachycarpus natalensis

Pachycarpus natalensis
Common names: Natal thick-fruit, Natal pachycarpus (Eng.); ishongwe elibomvu elikhulu (isiZulu)
Family: Apocynaceae

Pachycarpus natalensis is one of many amazingly beautiful indigenous plants, which is almost never cultivated. This is due to the short span of its flowering,...

04 / 12 / 2017 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pachycarpus campanulatus

Pachycarpus campanulatus var. campanulatus showing the inflorescence with pendent flowers.
Common names: cluster bells, toad plant, fairy bell pachycarpus, thick-fruit (Eng.); trosklokkies (Afr.); ishongwe (isiZulu).
Family: Apocynaceae

Pachycarpus campanulatus is a showy plant with large, hanging, bell-shaped flowers of up to 5 per umbel and exuding milky latex, like most plants in the...

13 / 08 / 2018 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pachycarpus acidostelma

Pachycarpus acidostelma
Common names: Highflats pachycarpus
Family: Apocynaceae

Recognized by its creamy to pale yellow, saucer-shaped flowers, the elusive Pachycarpus acidostelma remains one of South Africa’s hidden gems.Fig....

27 / 12 / 2021 | Kaveesha Naicker | CREW
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Ozoroa sphaerocarpa

Tree growing in habitat
Common names: currant resin tree (Eng.); korenteharpuisboom (Afr.); imfuce lemnyamma (IsiSwati); monoko (Sepedi)
Family: Anacardiaceae

This relatively small tree has small whitish flowers, with the sexes occurring on separate plants.  It is highly valued by rural communities because...

08 / 12 / 2014 | Mahlatse Mogale | TSP
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Ozoroa paniculosa

Ozoroa paniculosa tree
Common names: common resin tree, bushveld ozoroa (Eng.): gewone harpuisboom (Afr.); isifice (Zulu); monoko (N. Sotho/Sepedi); mudumbula (Venda)
Family: Anacardiaceae

An attractive, small to medium-sized tree. Its leaves are bluish grey above and silvery below with strikingly straight, parallel side veins....

12 / 04 / 2010 | Terence Mabela | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Ozoroa obovata var. elliptica

Ozoroa obovata tree
Common names: broad-leaved resin tree (Eng.); breë blaarharpuisboom (Afr.)
Family: Anacardiaceae

The broad-leaved resin tree is a semi-deciduous to evergreen shrub or tree that is suitable for small gardens....

05 / 09 / 2011 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Ozoroa barbertonensis

Ozoroa barbertonensis in flower and with fruit
Common names: Barberton ozoroa
Family: Anacardiaceae

Ozoroa barbertonensis is different from the rest of the southern African species of Ozoroa, with its beautiful, much longer, narrow leaves with shiny upper...

04 / 09 / 2023 | Sefularo Ramaboea | National Zoological Gardens
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Oxytenanthera abyssinica growing in the DRC. Photo Duncan McKenzie
Common names: holy Venda bamboo, wild bamboo (Eng.); heilige Venda-bamboes, wilde-bamboes (Afr.); musununu (Ven.)
Family: Poaceae

A large, woody plant that belongs in the grass family, Poaceae, and is endemic to Africa, known as the holy Venda bamboo, wild bamboo or musununu in South...

16 / 01 / 2023 | Lesibana Petrus Maema | Thohoyandou NBG
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Oxyanthus pyriformis subsp. pyriformis

Oxyanthus pyriformis flowers and foliage (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: hatpins loquat, Natal loquat (Eng.); hoedespeldlukwart, Natallukwart (Afr.); isibinda esingakhali-amasi (isiZulu); umgungununu (siSwati)
Family: Rubiaceae

Medley Wood described this loquat-like shrub as ‘an exceedingly handsome shrub of good habit, growing generally under large trees in those parts...

11 / 01 / 2016 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG
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Oxalis purpurea

Pink Oxalis purpurea
Common names: grand duchess sorrel (Eng.); suuring (Afr.)
Family: Oxalidaceae

A common but undervalued South African native plant, Oxalis purpurea can make a most magnificent garden plant that flowers for half the year....

21 / 12 / 2009 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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