Plants of the Week

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E.g., 15/01/2025
E.g., 15/01/2025

Boscia albitrunca

Boscia albitrunca
Common names: shepherd's tree (Eng.); witgat (Afr.); siPhiso (Sw), Mohlôpi (Northern Sotho); Xukutsi (Tswana); Muthobi (Venda)
Family: Brassicaceae

The shepherd's tree is the most common of the eight species in its genus and is usually found in the drier parts of southern Africa. It is often called...

08 / 08 / 2005 | Marcini Govender | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Albuca batteniana

Albuca batteniana
Common names: Wild Coast Albuca
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Albuca batteniana is not a commonly grown garden plant, but a collector's jewel and specialist species. Albucas, as can be seen from the photograph,...

08 / 08 / 2005 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kalanchoe luciae

Kalanchoe luciae
Common names: northern white lady, flapjack plant, flipping pancakes (Eng.); geelplakkie, meelplakkie, plakkie, voëlbrandewyn (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

The Afrikaans name meelplakkie is most appropriate for this plant as it does indeed look as if the whole plant has been liberally dusted with flour (meel)....

01 / 08 / 2005 | Andrew Hankey | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia stellispina

E.stellispina
Common names: sterretjie-noors, noorsdoring (Afr.)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia stellispina is a stunning architectural plant and a true survivor in the harsh landscape of the central Karoo and parts of Namaqualand....

01 / 08 / 2005 | Roger Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cyperaceae

Cyperus papyrus
Common names: sedges (Eng.); biesies (Afr.)
Family: Cyperaceae

A large, cosmopolitan family of mostly herbaceous plants, Cyperaceae occur primarily in moist temperate to wet tropical regions of the world; several species...

01 / 08 / 2005 | Clare Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Lithops

Lithops in flower
Common names: living stones, stone plants (Eng.); beeskloutjies, perdeklou (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Lithops are one of the most popular of all the succulents. These fat, cheeky little succulents plants have been grown for decades by amateur and professional...

25 / 07 / 2005 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Brunsvigia radulosa

Brunsvigia radulosa
Common names: candelabra flower (Eng.); kandelaarblom, misryblom (Afr.); Lemathla (Southern Sotho)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Brunsvigia radulosa is a very striking bulbous plant of the family Amaryllidaceae that grows and flowers spectacularly in summer, from December to February,...

25 / 07 / 2005 | Clare Archer | Pretoria NBG
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Babiana pygmaea

Babiana pygmaea
Common names: yellow babiana (Eng.); geelbobbejaantjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Despite the anomaly surrounding its specific name, the largest-flowered of all the Babiana species is a rewarding winter- and early spring-flowering cormous...

25 / 07 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch 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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Hoodia gordonii

Hoodia gordonii
Common names: bitter ghaap (Eng.); bitterghaap, muishondghaap, wolweghaap, bobbejaanghaap, bergghaap, bokhorings (Afr.); khobab (Khoi)
Family: Apocynaceae

Hoodia gordonii is one of the most sought after succulents due to its medicinal properties. It has been called one of the wonder plants of the twenty-first...

18 / 07 / 2005 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Eragrostis superba

Spikelets
Common names: saw-tooth love grass, flat-seed love grass (Eng.); bosluissaadgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

  The large, flat, attractive spikelets on inflorescences that occur well above the basal tuft of leaves make this one of the easiest Eragrostis...

18 / 07 / 2005 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pogonarthria squarrosa

Herringbone grass
Common names: herringbone grass, sickle grass
Family: Poaceae

Pogonarthria squarrosa is a loosely tufted grass with interesting, reddish-brown inflorescences which have led to its common name, herringbone...

11 / 07 / 2005 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Hoslundia opposita

Hoslundia opposita
Common names: orange bird berry, bird gooseberry (Eng.); Uyaweyawe (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

This hardy garden plant bears brightly coloured, tasty edible fruits and is an excellent subject for container gardening, which is a useful way to make...

11 / 07 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Aloe mitriformis

Aloe mitriformis
Common names: mitre aloe (Eng.); krans aalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

There are not many aloes from the Cape that flower during summer, hence those that do are more sought after. Those of you who love gardening with bright...

11 / 07 / 2005 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Freylinia densiflora

Freylinia densiflora
Common names: Langeberg bell-bush, common bell-bush (Eng.); Langebergseklokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Blue-green foliage and subtly coloured flowers are attractive features of this widespread bell-bush....

04 / 07 / 2005 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Becium obovatum

See Ocimum obovatum...

04 / 07 / 2005 | | 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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Ocimum obovatum

Ocimum obovatum
Common names: cat's whiskers ( Eng. ); katsnor (Afr.); Idada, Iziba, Ufukuzela, Umathanjane (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

Erect and sometimes spreading, low-growing perennial herb, this plant is an excellent link between lawn and a shrubby border. It is a good candidate for...

04 / 07 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Wurmbea stricta

Wurmbea stricta
Common names: vleiblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Colchicaceae

Scantily known in cultivation, the starry pink-and-white flowers of this easily grown cormous plant really deserve a place in containers, shallow garden...

27 / 06 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ochna pulchra

Common names: peeling plane, peeling-bark ochna (Eng.); lekkerbreek (Afr.); monyelewyele (Tswana); monamane, mopha (Northern Sotho); musuma, murambo, tshithothonya
Family: Ochnaceae

This species is better known by its Afrikaans name, lekkerbreek. This is most probably one of South Africa 's most beautiful trees, but also one of...

27 / 06 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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