Plants of the Week

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E.g., 03/10/2024
E.g., 03/10/2024

Nemesia arenifera

Nemesia arenifera
Common names: None recorded.
Family: Scrophulariaceae

The newest nemesia, Nemesia arenifera, was described in 2013 as a new species.  It has been overlooked since 1904, as it was confused with Nemesia...

17 / 08 / 2015 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Mystroxylon aethiopicum: Photo: Geoff Nichols
Common names: kooboo-berry, spoonwood (Eng.); koeboebessie, lepelboom, lepelhout (Afr.); umbomvane, umgxube, umnqayi (Xhosa); monamane (Northern Sotho); mukwatikwat
Family: Celastraceae

Mystroxylon aethiopicum is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree, planted as a hedge, in groups or solitary and...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Mystacidium capense

Mystacidium capense
Common names: iphamba (Zulu)
Family: Orchidaceae

This delicate epiphytic orchid, a mini plant with maxi roots is covered in a mass of white flowers at the beginning of summer....

02 / 12 / 2002 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Myrsine africana

Berries of M africana
Common names: Cape myrtle, African boxwood (Eng.); vlieëbos, mirting (Afr.); moroko-pheleu, semapo, sethakhisa, thakisa (Southern Sotho)?
Family: Myrsinaceae

This small shrub found in the wild from the Cape through tropical Africa to Asia, is a tough plant with attractive foliage and fruit, attracts birds and...

18 / 07 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Myrothamnus flabellifolius

Leaves. Image A dreyer
Common names: resurrection plant (Eng.); opstandingsplant (Afr.); uvukakwabafile (isiZulu); umazifisi (Ndebele)
Family: Myrothamnaceae

The leaves of the resurrection plant shrink and appear to be dead in the dry season, but miraculously turn green within a few minutes after exposure to...

18 / 11 / 2013 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Muraltia spinosa

Muraltia spinosa
Common names: tortoise berry (Eng.); skilpadbessie, duinebessie, bokbessie (Afr.); mmaba (Tswana); cargoe (Nama)
Family: Polygalaceae

The tortoise berry is a striking plant when covered in its masses of dainty purple flowers. Attractive and unusual spiny foliage, pretty red edible fruits...

05 / 09 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Muraltia scoparia

Muraltia scoparia
Common names: tortoise berry, dune berry (Eng.); skilpadbessie, duinebessie (Afr.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Identifying the species Muraltia spinosa and M. scoparia (formerly in the genus Nylandtia) using herbarium material only, can be misleading, as the habit...

07 / 11 / 2005 | Christien Bredenkamp | Pretoria NBG
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Muraltia heisteria

Growing near Hout Bay, Cape peninsula.
Common names: spiky purple gorse (Eng.); kastybos, persblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Muraltia heisteria is unknown to many people, yet it has so much potential as a garden plant, bringing colour, texture and charm to the garden. It...

15 / 01 / 2007 | Marga Den Hartigh | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mundulea sericea

Mundulea sericea flowers and leaves
Common names: cork bush, silver bush, Rhodesian silver-leaf (Eng.); kurkbos, blou-ertjieboom, olifantshout, visboontjie, visgif, mangaanbos (Afr.); omukeka (Herero)
Family: Fabaceae

In a landscape characterised by grass and rock, all-year frost and drenching thunderstorms, Mundulea sericea stands out as the true star of the veld....

29 / 09 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Moringa ovalifolia

M.ovalifolia growing on Brandberg, Namibia
Common names: phantom tree, ghost tree, African moringo (Eng.); sprokiesboom, meelsakboom (Afr.); Omutindi (Herero); Oluhongwe (Ovambo)
Family: Moringaceae

Moringa ovalifolia is a decorative, thickset, succulent-stemmed, erect tree of the dry, desert and semi-desert areas of Namibia. It can be seen on...

08 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Morella cordifolia

Male bush in bud
Common names: wax berry, candle berry (Eng.); wasbessie, wasbessiebos, wasbossie, glashout (Afr.); ilethi (Zulu)
Family: Myricaceae

The wax berry is an interesting addition to the garden, ideal for coastal and/or sandy gardens, and if you like plants with a long history of use to mankind...

13 / 06 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Moraea worcesterensis

Flowers
Common names: No names recorded
Family: Iridaceae

The critically endangered Moraea worcesterensis with striking dark purple flowers is very scarce in cultivation....

04 / 03 / 2013 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Moraea villosa

Moraea villosa subsp. villosa
Common names: peacock moraea (Eng.); uiltjie (Afr.) Two subspecies are recognized: subsp. villosa and subsp. elandsmontana Goldblatt
Family: Iridaceae

The peacock moraea previously occurred in great abundance in the mass spring-flower displays of the Cape lowlands. Sadly, this attractive flower has lost...

08 / 03 / 2010 | Lize Von Staden | TSP
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Moraea tulbaghensis

Moraea tulbaghensis orange form
Common names: rooiflappie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

The spectacular orange or brick-red blooms of Moraea tulbaghensis appear in profusion from mid to late spring, yet are seldom seen in the wild,...

12 / 10 / 2009 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Moraea tripetala

Moraea tripetala flowers
Common names: blue tulp (Eng.); blou-uintjie, kleinuiltjie, bok-uintjie, riet-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Moraea tripetala is tolerant of various environmental conditions; it is equally successful in the wetter Cape mountains and in the semi-arid areas of...

12 / 10 / 2009 | Eugene Marinus | Hantam NBG
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Moraea polystachya

Moraea polystachya
Common names: blue moraea, blue tulp, poison moraea (Eng.); bloutulp, kraai-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Pretty but dangerous - to live-stock, that is! In a good year, usually in autumn, the large, deep blue to violet or occasionally white, iris-like flowers...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Clare Archer | Pretoria NBG
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Moraea polystachya

Moraea polystachya
Common names: bloutulp, kraai-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Pretty but dangerous (to live-stock, that is)! In a good year, usually in autumn, the large, deep blue to violet or occasionally white, iris-like flowers...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Clare Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Moraea miniata

Moraea miniata
Common names: two-leaf Cape tulip, red Cape tulip, poison bulb (Eng.), pronktulp, rooitulp, geeltulp, kraaitulp (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A stunning plant with delicate petals that flowers in masses during late winter and spring, turning patches of the veld bright salmon pink. A member of...

12 / 08 / 2024 | Nokuthula Michelle Siwelane | Hantam NBG
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Moraea loubseri

Moraea loubseri
Common names: None recorded
Family: Iridaceae

Moraea loubseri is a beautiful cormous plant from the Cape West Coast with violet-mauve blooms adorned with a prominent black beard. It is one of...

22 / 10 / 2012 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Moraea longiaristata

Flower
Common names: no names recorded
Family: Iridaceae

Moraea longiaristata is endemic to the Caledon Swartberg, which is a very special mountain home to many endemic and threatened plant species. This...

11 / 03 / 2013 | M Treurnicht | CREW
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