Plants of the Week

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E.g., 28/01/2025
E.g., 28/01/2025

Leucadendron teretifolium

Female plant showing cones
Common names: needle-leaf conebush, strawberry conebush (Eng.); waterbossie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Rosy red cones and dense, compact growth, make Leucadendron teretifolium hard to miss, when walking in the veld....

09 / 03 / 2015 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe striata subsp. karasbergensis

Rosette of Aloe striata subsp. karasbergensis
Common names: Karasberg aloe (Eng.); Karasbergaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe striata subsp. karasbergensis is one of two less known, but equally striking, subspecies of Aloe striata. This particular subspecies is well known...

02 / 03 / 2015 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Duvernoia adhatodoides

Common names: pistol bush (Eng.); pistoolbos (Afr.); ihlwalane, isepheka, ihlwehlwe (Xhosa); uthabe, lothabe (Zulu)
Family: Acanthaceae

Duvernoia adhatodoides is now Justicia adhatodoides ...

02 / 03 / 2015 | | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. ladismithiensis

Cotyledon tomentosa subsp.ladismithiensis
Common names: Ladismith bear’s paw
Family: Crassulaceae

Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. ladismithiensis is a medium-sized shrub, with succulent, hairy leaves and stems. It occurs in rock outcrops, shallow soil and...

23 / 02 / 2015 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Karoo Desert NBG
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Erica sociorum

Bush of Erica sociorum in flower
Common names: Noordhoek cliff heath, partner heath, companion heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica sociorum is the most localized of all Cape Peninsula endemic ericas, and only found growing in a very limited area on cliffs above Noordhoek....

23 / 02 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Turraea floribunda

Tree in flower
Common names: honeysuckle-tree, wild honeysuckle-tree (Eng.); kanferfoelieboom (Afr.); umdlozana (Swazi); umadlozane (isiZulu)
Family: Meliaceae

This is a slender, elegant tree that is ideal for small subtropical and tropical gardens. The tracery of leafless branches is covered in spring with a...

16 / 02 / 2015 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium
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Dracaena transvaalensis

Dracaena transvaalensis in flower at Botanical Society Conservatory Kirstenbosch
Common names: Wolkberg dragon tree (Engl.); Wolkbergdrakeboom, dolomiet-drakeboom (Afr.)
Family: Ruscaceae

Dracaena transvaalensis is a medium-sized, aloe-like tree. It has large, elongated, ascending leaves arranged in central rosettes. The large inflorescence...

16 / 02 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Roella muscosa

Plant in flower
Common names: None recorded
Family: Campanulaceae

Roella muscosa is a flat-growing, herbaceous plant, with beautiful, pale icy blue flowers, growing rather inconspicuously among rocks in sand, and is found...

09 / 02 / 2015 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
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Erica sparsa var. sparsa

Erica sparsa in flower
Common names: pink-smoke heath, ker-ker
Family: Ericaceae

Erica sparsa is a free-flowering, relatively easy-to-grow, fynbos shrub that produces masses of small flowers in late summer, autumn and winter, that turn...

09 / 02 / 2015 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Asparagus virgatus

Asparagus virgatus. Photo Dr Wynand Uys
Common names: broom asparagus, slender asparagus, ‘Tiki’ fern, African broom fern (Eng.); makkatdoring, katstertjie (Afr.); ibutha, ihabiya, iphinganhloya, unwe
Family: Asparagaceae

Asparagus virgatus is an evergreen, perennial plant that produces small, greenish white flowers in summer, and small, spheroid, red seeds. It is also known...

02 / 02 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Gnidia denudata

Inflorescence
Common names: furry saffron bush (Eng.); saffraan (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia denudata is an attractive bushy shrub with long hairs that gives an effect of silver-like foliage. Like any other Gnidia species, it has terminal...

02 / 02 / 2015 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Coleotrype natalensis

Coleotrype natalensis showing leaves and flower
Common names: none recorded
Family: Commelinaceae

The genus Coleotrype is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences, with each unit being subtended by a relatively large bract, and the petals...

26 / 01 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Erica diaphana

Flowers of Erica diaphana
Common names: diaphanous heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica diaphana is a strong-growing heath from the southern Cape that brings summer colour to the fynbos garden....

26 / 01 / 2015 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia calenduliflora

Plant in flower. Image Wikicommons
Common names: Namaqua parachute daisy, Springbok rock-ursinia; bergmagriet, berggousblom (Afrikaans).
Family: Asteraceae

...

19 / 01 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sansevieria hyacinthoides

Inflorescence
Common names: mother-in-law’s tongue, piles root, bowstring hemp (Eng.); skoonma-se-tong, aambeiwortel, haasoor (Afr.); kai, ghaiwortel (Khoi); isikholokotho (Xho
Family: Ruscaceae

The mother-in-law’s tongue is an evergreen, perennial herb, with its handsome robust, flat, dark green and fibrous leaves that attact game. Its scented...

19 / 01 / 2015 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Delosperma tradescantioides

Delosperma tradescantioides
Common names: Kei delosperma (Eng.); Keivygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The Kei delosperma is a cliff-hanger, mat-forming plant endemic to the Kei River and its tributaries, in the Eastern Cape. It has large, flat, hairy to...

12 / 01 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Phragmites australis

Phragmitesaustralis in flower
Common names: commom reed; fluitjiesriet (Afr.); lehlaka (SeSotho.); umHlanga (isiZulu.); lutanga (Tshivenda.)
Family: Poaceae

Phragmites australia is a  cosmopolitan perennial grass/reed with grey-green leaves and a light brown to purple inflorescence and the flowers are...

12 / 01 / 2015 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos cupidus

Plant growing in garden
Common names: Blyde River cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos cupidus is a very attractive, desirable, frost-hardy, dwarf, multi-stemmed cycad with its usually subterranean stem and blue green leaves,...

05 / 01 / 2015 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Aloidendron tongaense

Flowers
Common names: Tonga tree aloe (Eng.); Tonga boomaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

A medium-sized tree-aloe endemic to the coastal forests in northern Zululand and southern Mozambique. It has showy, curved, orange flowers, and grows well...

05 / 01 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Chrysocoma coma-aurea

Bright yellow flowerheads and leaves
Common names: golden heads, golden bitter bush, golden cowcud (Eng.); bitterbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This species is a showy shrub of fast growth that may be planted close together to form a good border plant, along the edges of a flower bed....

29 / 12 / 2014 | Papama Tsoanyane | Harold Porter NBG
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