Plants of the Week

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E.g., 08/11/2024
E.g., 08/11/2024

Stenostelma umbelliferum

Flowerhead
Family: Apocynaceae

Stenostelma umbelluliferum was recently moved to the genus Stenostelma. Previously known as Schizoglossum umbelluliferum, it  was rediscovered in...

31 / 03 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos lanatus

Encephalartos lanatus
Common names: Woolly cycad (Eng.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos lanatus  is normally a medium-sized, single-stemmed plant about 1–1,5 m high. In the garden, it enjoys a position in full sun...

31 / 03 / 2008 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strelitzia reginae subsp. mzimvubuensis

In flower in habitat
Common names: Mzimvubu craneflower
Family: Strelitziaceae

This is a subspecies of the well known Strelitzia reginae which is a garden favourite and a choice cut-flower worldwide....

24 / 03 / 2008 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Callilepis laureola

Flower: Photo: von Fintel
Common names: Ox-eye Daisy (eng.); Wildemargriet (Afr.); mila (Sw); amafuthomhlaba, ihlamvu, impila (Z)
Family: Asteraceae

This is a spring flower of the grasslands with the unusual combination of dark disc, white rays and bright green foliage, making it an attractive garden...

24 / 03 / 2008 | Desiree Marimuthoo | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Sparaxis maculosa

In flower
Common names: Cape buttercup, sparaxis, wandflower (Eng.); botterblom, ferweel, ferweeltjie, fluweeltjie, geelkalkoentjie, geelkalossie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Known from only two localities, one recently discovered, this spectacularly large-flowered species is sadly frail in its magnificence, a shadow cast upon...

17 / 03 / 2008 | Caitlin Von Witt | CREW
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Liparia splendens subsp. splendens

Liparia splendens subsp.splendens
Common names: mountain dahlia, orange nodding-head (Eng.), bergdahlia, geelkoppie, skaamblom (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Liparia splendens is a beautiful fynbos shrub with striking bright orange-yellow, nodding flowerheads in winter-summer, a rare find both in the wild...

17 / 03 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strumaria tenella subsp. orientalis

In flower
Common names: Free State snowflake ( Eng. ); tolbol (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This interesting perennial bulb grows in the cracks and in the topsoil of dolerite rocks surrounded by Nama Karoo vegetation. The plant's most attractive...

10 / 03 / 2008 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG
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Streptocarpus primulifolius

Streptocarpus primulifolius
Common names: Cape primrose
Family: Gesneriaceae

This is one of the more striking Streptocarpus species with lovely large, trumpet-shaped flowers in deep shades of mauve with distinctive dark...

10 / 03 / 2008 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Laportea grossa

Foliage
Common names: spotted nettle (Eng.); gevlekte brandnetel (Afr.); ubazi, ububasa (Xhosa); imbabazane, imbathi (Zulu)
Family: Urticaceae

Laportea grossa has decorative, glossy dark green foliage with conspicuous white spots - an excellent plant to brighten up a shady bed, but it needs careful...

03 / 03 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cassia abbreviata subsp. beareana

Flowers
Common names: long-tail cassia, sjambok pod, wild senna (Eng.); sjambokpeul, peulboom, peulbos, boontjieboom (Afr.), molepelepe, monêpênêpê (Tw), muboma, mulamb
Family: Fabaceae

The long-tail cassia is ideal for small to medium-sized gardens where it will attract attention with both its beautiful deep yellow, sweetly scented flowers...

03 / 03 / 2008 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Pelargonium abrotanifolium

Flowers
Common names: southernwood-leaf pelargonium (Eng.); klipmalvabossie, maagbossie, wildemalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

This small flowering shrublet with aromatic foliage provides beauty and colour all year round to any arid garden and rockery....

25 / 02 / 2008 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Hibiscus calyphyllus

Flower
Common names: hibiscus, sun hibiscus, lemon-yellow rosemallow (Eng.); wildestokroos (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

This perennial shrub with its striking, large, lemon-yellow flowers and velvety leaves is perfect as an informal border or as a centrepiece in a small...

25 / 02 / 2008 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Oscularia piquetbergensis

In flower
Common names: dassievygie, sandsteenygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Oscularia piquetbergensis, just like O. deltoides, is another easy-to-grow succulent groundcover for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens....

18 / 02 / 2008 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium
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Drosera capensis

Drosera capensis leaf
Common names: Cape sundew (Eng.); sondouw (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

Glistening dewdrops adorn the strap-like leaves of the sundew, enticing insects to their deaths.  ...

18 / 02 / 2008 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syncarpha eximia

In bud Syncarpha eximia flowerheads are reminiscent of a bowl of strawberries
Common names: strawberry everlasting (Eng.); rooisewejaartjie, sewejaartjie, strooiblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This beautiful plant has prominent, showy, red and orange flower heads that in bud are reminiscent of a bowl of strawberries, borne above erect stems covered...

11 / 02 / 2008 | Waafeka Vardien | Compton Herbarium
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Rotheca hirsuta

In flower
Common names: butterfly bush, Matabele violet, wild violet (Eng.); sigibanyongo (siSwati); khopha, mokata (Sotho); umathanjana, umathanjane, uSikisiki (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

Rotheca hirsuta occurs mainly in grassland. It is one of the first spring flowers to appear after winter in the summer rainfall regions....

04 / 02 / 2008 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Anemone vesicatoria

Leaves and flowers
Common names: blisterleaf (Eng.); brandblaar, katjiedrieblaar, tandpynblaar, peperwortel (Afr.)
Family: Ranunculaceae

Anemone vesicatoria is one of the few and best fynbos plants for the shady garden. Tough and water-wise, a mature clump of this plant with its attractive...

04 / 02 / 2008 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Trichodesma angustifolium

Trichodesma angustifolium flowers
Common names: blue-bells
Family: Boraginaceae

Dainty pale blue flowers that turn pink with age cover bushes of Trichodesma angustifolium subsp. angustifolium in springtime, especially after fire....

28 / 01 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Markhamia zanzibarica

Flowers
Common names: bell bean tree ( Eng. ); klokkiesboontjieboom (Afr.); mula-kholoma ( Venda )
Family: Bignoniaceae

Markhamia zanzibarica, a small, tropical tree with striking flowers and decorative fruits, is Tree of the Year for 2008, together with Diospyros...

28 / 01 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pachycarpus schinzianus

Flowers of P.schinzianus
Common names: cream cups (Eng.); bitterwortel (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

In spring and summer Pachycarpus schinzianus and Xysmalobium undulatum are the two largest and most readily distinguished asclepiads in the grasslands...

21 / 01 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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