Plants of the Week

Rafnia triflora

Common names: three-flower rafnia

Family: Fabaceae

Rafnia triflora is a little known but striking fynbos shrub, with blue green leaves and bright yellow flowers in summer....

29 / 03 / 2010 | Musawenkosi Ndlovu | Kirstenbosch NBG

Radinosiphon leptostachya

Common names: slender-spiked radinosiphon (Eng.); blou angelier (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Radinosiphon leptostachya is a cormous deciduous perennial plant with slender stems and pink flowers in summer, that thrives in rocky environments amongst...

24 / 06 / 2024 | Ziphezinhle Madonsela | Lowveld NBG

Rabiea albinota

Common names: clock plant (Eng.); s'keng-kengvygie (Afr.); s`keng-keng (Griqua)

Family: Aizoaceae

When in a powdered state, the s'keng-keng is amongst numerous psychotropic plants that are able to alter the mind and mood of an individual....

25 / 01 / 2016 | Ndamase Nozuko | National Herbarium Pretoria

Quaqua mammilaris

Common names: aroena (Afr.); aroena, oruna (Khoi)

Family: Apocynaceae

Aroena makes an interesting addition to any dry veld-food garden....

12 / 10 / 2015 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG

Pyrrosia schimperiana

Common names: canyon fern (Eng.); afgrondvaring (Afr.)

Family: Polypodiaceae

A rare fern, only known from the Blyde River Canyon in the Mpumalanga Province, confined to sheer cliffs. The plant grows in small, dense clusters, with...

27 / 03 / 2017 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pyrrosia

Common names: felt ferns

Family: Polypodiaceae

Pyrrosia is a genus of mostly epiphytic and simple-leaved ferns....

02 / 05 / 2005 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium

Pycnostachys urticifolia

Common names: hedgehog sage, large hedgehog flower, prickly sage, blue boys, nettle-leaf pycnostachys, dark blue pycnostachys (Eng.); ystervarksalie, groot ystervar

Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus livingstonei...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Compton Herbarium

Pycnostachys reticulata

Common names: prickly sage, blue soldier sage (Eng.); stekelsalie (Afr.); umvuthuza, uhlalawane (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus kirkii ...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Compton Herbarium

Putterlickia pyracantha

Common names: false spike-thorn, fire-thorn putterlickia (Eng.); valspendoring, branddoring (Afr.); intlangwana, umhlangwe, umqaqoba (Xho.)

Family: Celastraceae

An awesome multi-stemmed shrub or small tree, with the most attractive flowers that become redder and more showy after they open. Its spiny character makes...

12 / 10 / 2020 | Sephatle Evans Molekoa | Lowveld NBG

Pteronia uncinata

Common names: coast gumbush (Eng.); strandgombos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

This honey scented shrublet is a must-have for any coastal garden in the winter rainfall region of South Africa....

17 / 02 / 2014 | Zoleka Maphanga | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Pteronia stricta

Common names: kaatjiegert, kaatjiegertbossie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Pteronia stricta is an upright shrub with showy yellow flower heads that appear almost throughout the year....

06 / 10 / 2014 | Hannelie Snyman | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pteronia paniculata

Common names: gum-bush (Eng.); gombos, gombossie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

...

22 / 03 / 2021 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG

Pteronia incana

Common names: ash bush, blue bush, wild lavender bush (Eng.), asbos, asbossie, bloubos, laventelbossie, kraakbos (Afr.).

Family: Asteraceae

This unpalatable, aromatic, dwarf shrub with beautiful, dusty grey foliage and bright yellow flowers in spring and early summer, is one of the most widely...

16 / 08 / 2021 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG

Pteronia aspera

Common names: sand gumbush (Eng.); sandgombos (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

A floriferous, medicinally important shrub, with huge cultural value and commercial potential....

07 / 10 / 2019 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pterolobium stellatum

Common names: red-wing (Eng.); rooivlerk (Afr.); gwambazi or luanakha (Tshivenda)

Family: Fabaceae

Pterolobium stellatum is a tall, scrambling or climbing shrub with woody rope-like stems....

07 / 12 / 2009 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Walter Sisulu NBG

Pterodiscus luridus

Common names: lurid flowered pterodiscus

Family: Pedaliaceae

Pterodiscus luridus has a large swollen caudex aboveground that resembles a miniature baobab, particularly noticeable when the stems die back in winter...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG

Pterocelastrus tricuspidatus

Common names: candlewood, cherrywood (English), kershout, kersiehout, rooikersiehout, witpeer, witpeerhout (Afrikaans), iBholo, iTywina, uTwina (isiXhosa).

Family: Celastraceae

When in fruit this widely distributed, evergreen bush or tree is a lovely sight, decorated with masses of brilliant orange fruit, which are enjoyed by...

29 / 08 / 2005 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG

Pterocelastrus rostratus

Common names: red cherrywood, beaked pterocelastrus, red candlewood (Eng.); rooikershout, kersiehout (Afr.); ugobandlovu, usahlulamanye (Zulu); itywina (Xhosa)

Family: Celastraceae

A graceful evergreen tree, or shrub, with a slender stem, a bushy crown and sweet-scented flowers in summer followed by distinctive spiky, orange to reddish-brown...

11 / 09 / 2023 | Loretta Floors | Harold Porter NBG

Pterocarpus rotundifolius

Common names: Muhataha (Tshivenda), round-leaved bloodwood (Eng.), dopperkiaat (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

Flowers of Pterocarpus rotundifolius are strongly honey-scented. Bee-keepers like to plant this tree as a good source of nectar and food for bees....

03 / 03 / 2003 | Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Pretoria NBG

Pterocarpus angolensis

Common names: kiaat, bloodwood, paddle-wood, sealing-wax tree, wild teak, Transvaal teak (Eng.); kiaat, bloedhout, dolfhout, greinhout, kajatenhout, lakhout, wilde-

Family: Fabaceae

A brown and papery, spiky, fried egg is what the seed pod of this beautiful tree looks like. The pods remain on the tree long after the leaves have fallen...

03 / 02 / 2003 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

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