Plants of the Week

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

Kedrostis hirtella

Green fruits forming
Common names: bobbejaankomkommer (Afr.); mogakangwaga (Tswana)
Family: Cucurbitaceae

This climber, with bright green velvety leaves, bears bright orange-red fruit that will attract birds to your garden....

21 / 03 / 2005 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Buddleja loricata

Buddleja loricata
Common names: mountain sagewood (Eng.); bergsaliehout (Afr.); Lelora (Southern Sotho); umngane (Zulu)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Mountain sagewood is an interesting Buddleja for small gardens or town houses, particularly those inland at higher altitudes. It has a tidy, rounded shape,...

21 / 03 / 2005 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG
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Anisodontea julii

Anisodontea julii
Common names: Drakensberg mallow, mountain mallow, African mallow (Eng.); bergroos (Afr.); letjeane-la-noka, llefeta (SS)
Family: Malvaceae

Anisodontea julii, valued for its quick growth, is a tall, graceful shrub with velvety, maple-like leaves and wonderful displays of large pink flowers...

21 / 03 / 2005 | L Badenhorst | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Searsia discolor

Searsia discolor
Common names: grassveld currant ( Eng. ); grasveld taaibos (Afr.); Koppshane, mohlohlooane (Southern Sotho)?; inhlangushane (Sw)?; Inkobesehlungulu, intlokotshane,
Family: Anacardiaceae

This attractive shrub is grown mainly for its fine foliage. Along with several other species in this genus, it is overlooked as a garden plant. Very little...

14 / 03 / 2005 | Peter Gavhi | Free State NBG
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Encephalartos transvenosus

Modjadji cycad
Common names: Modjadji cycad (Eng.); Modjadji broodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

As a garden subject, Encephalartos transvenosus, with its glossy dark-green leaves, is one of the most spectacular and tallest of all cycad species. It...

14 / 03 / 2005 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cucumis africanus

Fruits
Common names: wild cucumber, wild gherkin (Eng.); wilde agurkie, doringkomkommertjie (Afr.); monyaku (Pedi); mthangazana (Xhosa); isende-lenja, uselwa-lwemamba (Zul
Family: Cucurbitaceae

The fruits of this species, looking like small, prickly and striped cucumbers, were pickled and preserved in old Cape kitchens....

14 / 03 / 2005 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crocosmia masoniorum

Flowers
Common names: swan crocosmia
Family: Iridaceae

Arguably the loveliest all Crocosmia species, C. masoniorum deserves to be more widely grown than it is. Rare in the wild, it has nevertheless...

07 / 03 / 2005 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium
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Berzelia lanuginosa

Common names: common button bush, common berzelia (Eng.); vleiknoppiesbos, vleikolkol, kolkolbos (Afr.)
Family: Bruniaceae

Berzelia lanuginosa is one of twelve species in the genus Berzelia in the Bruniaceae, one of the few families that is endemic to the Cape floral kingdom...

07 / 03 / 2005 | Roger Tuckeldoe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Acorus calamus

Acorus calamus.Image from Wikipedia
Common names: sweet-flag (Eng.); makkalmoes (Afr.); ikalamuzi (Zulu)
Family: Acoraceae

Acorus calamus is a reed-like, aquatic plant with a pungent smell that has been used medicinally since biblical times. It has many traditional uses all...

07 / 03 / 2005 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Malephora

Malephora framesii near Strandfontein
Common names: mesemb ( Eng. ); vygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Species of the mesemb genus Malephora enliven some of the most arid gardens of southern Africa with their brightly coloured flowers and vigorous, creeping...

28 / 02 / 2005 | Pascale Chesselet | Compton Herbarium
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Euphorbia cooperi

Fruiting branches image ©Geoff Nichols
Common names: bushveld candelabra tree (Eng.); norsdoring (Afr.)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia cooperi is a succulent tree up to 7 m tall, with conspicuous candelabra-like branches. This plant has milky latex highly poisonous to humans...

28 / 02 / 2005 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Aeollanthus parvifolius

Growing in habitat
Common names: rock sage (Eng.), klipsalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Aeollanthus parvifolius is a drought-tolerant, succulent, autumn-flowering plant suitable for dry bushveld and grassland gardens. Its succulent nature...

28 / 02 / 2005 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Vachellia nilotica subsp. kraussiana

Pods of Vachellia nilotica subsp kraussiana
Common names: scented-pod acacia ( Eng. ); lekkerruikpeul (Afr.); Mogohlo (Northern Sotho); isiThwetwe, umNcawe (Siswati); Motsha (Tshwana); umNqawe (Zulu) African
Family: Fabaceae

If you were a game or stock farmer with browsers on your property, this lovely  Vachellia species would be an asset to you. Please just remember the...

21 / 02 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Schefflera umbellifera

Schefflera umbellifera
Common names: false cabbage tree (Eng.); valskiepersol (Afr.); umsenge, umkisiso(Xhosa); umsenge, umgezisa, umbumbu, umbegele, umsengembuzi (Zulu); umsengambuti (Sw
Family: Araliaceae

This tree is an upright tree with a rounded crown suitable for a courtyard or gardens with limited space. It was selected as one of the South African Trees...

21 / 02 / 2005 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Chasmanthe aethiopica

Chasmanthe aethiopica
Common names: small chasmanthe, small cobra lily (Eng.); suurkanolpypie, klein piempiempie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

This attractive species is one of the earliest of the Cape bulbs to flower, its spikes of orange, tubular flowers providing welcome interest to the winter...

21 / 02 / 2005 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium
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Acacia nilotica subsp.kraussiana

Family: Fabaceae

This plant is now called Vachellia nilotica subsp. kraussiana...

21 / 02 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Mimetes cucullatus

Mimetes cucullatus
Common names: common mimetes, common pagoda, red mimetes, red pagoda ( Eng. ); rooistompie, stompie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Mimetes cucullatus is eye-catching, unusual and colourful all year round, and it is among the easiest members of the protea family to grow....

20 / 02 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica denticulata

Erica denticulata
Common names: scented heath (Eng.); lekkerruikheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica denticulata stands out in a family of over 700 species as being one of the few that have scented flowers. The scent is reminiscent of carnations...

14 / 02 / 2005 | Roger Tuckeldoe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Combretum woodii

Pale leaves and flowers on C. woodii
Common names: large-leaved forest bushwillow (Eng.); grootblaarvaderlandswilg (Afr.); iWaphu (Zulu); Mbondvo sehlatsi (Swazi)
Family: Combretaceae

...

14 / 02 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Burchellia bubalina

Burchellia bubalina
Common names: wild pomegranate (Eng.); wildegranaat (Afr.); iThobankomo (X), isiGolwane (Z); maHlosana (Sw)
Family: Rubiaceae

The wild pomegranate is an attractive ornamental shrub/tree that is also used to attract nectar-feeding birds. The combination of its bright red flowers...

14 / 02 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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