Plants of the Week

Berkheya purpurea

Common names: purple berkheya (Eng.); bloudisseldoring (Afr.); Sehlohlo (SS)

Family: Asteraceae

A prickly thistle, Berkheya purpurea turns into a surprisingly beautiful perennial when flowering in midsummer....

31 / 01 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG

Oplismenus hirtellus

Common names: basket grass

Family: Poaceae

An outstanding groundcover for those difficult shady areas under trees, the grass Oplismenus hirtellus makes an interesting textured carpet of deep green...

31 / 01 / 2005 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Sorghum bicolor

Common names: sorghum (Eng.); graansorghum (Afr); mabele (Pedi,Sotho,Ndebele); amabele(Z); amazimba (Xhosa)

Family: Poaceae

This crop plant has been cultivated in southern Africa for over 3 000 years....

31 / 01 / 2005 | E T Rampho | National Herbarium Pretoria

Maesa lanceolata

Common names: false assegai ( Eng. ); valsassegaai (Afr.); umalunguzalazikhakhona, inhlavubele, umaguqu, isidenda, ubhoqobhoqo (Zulu); intendekwane (Xhosa); ligucu,

Family: Maesaceae

An apple-green tree-shrub gives shade to a cool, inviting stream: this idyllic prospect is repeated a million times in KwaZulu-Natal , South Africa 's...

07 / 02 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium

Stenoglottis woodii

Family: Orchidaceae

This easy to grow, miniature, terrestrial orchid from the eastern seaboard of South Africa, provides a long-flowering summer display on a protected patio...

07 / 02 / 2005 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

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

Combretum 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

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

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

Acacia nilotica subsp.kraussiana

Family: Fabaceae

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

21 / 02 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

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

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

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

Aeollanthus parvifolius

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

Euphorbia cooperi

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

Malephora

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

Acorus calamus

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

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

Crocosmia masoniorum

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

Cucumis africanus

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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