Plants of the Week

Cyanella hyacinthoides

Common names: lady’s hand (Eng.); blouraaptol, dolraap, klipraap, raap, raapdol, raaptol, raaptoluintjie, raapuintjie, tolraap (Afr.)

Family: Tecophilaeaceae

...

10 / 08 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Ledebouria hypoxidioides

Common names: Grahamstown African hyacinth

Family: Hyacinthaceae

A highly unique species in the genus since it is the only species with leaves that are densely covered with shaggy hairs. This species is also only known...

10 / 08 / 2020 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Staberoha cernua

Common names: droopy tasselreed

Family: Restionaceae

An attractive, small, tufted restio, with brown-tan seed heads that is ideal for fynbos gardens. ...

03 / 08 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lanaria lanata

Common names: Cape edelweiss (Eng.); kapokblom, perdekapok (Afr.)

Family: Lanariaceae

Lanaria lanata is packed full of surprises. With its grass-like leaves and white, woolly inflorescence, one would think that that would be all it has to...

27 / 07 / 2020 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG

Albuca heydenrychii

Common names: yellow cliff-albuca (Eng.); krans-slymstok (Afr.)

Family: Hyacinthaceae

Albuca heydenrychii is a cliff-dwelling, bulbous plant with soft, flaccid leaves up to 1 m long and a raceme of bright yellow flowers in midsummer. It...

27 / 07 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea

Common names: five fingers, yellow lady’s hand (Eng.); geelraaptol (Afr.)

Family: Tecophilaeaceae

Cyanella lutea subsp. lutea is a rewarding, long-lived cormous perennial that blooms reliably every year. ...

20 / 07 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Ximenia americana var. microphylla

Common names: small blue sourplum (Eng.); kleinblousuurpruim (Afr.); ukolotshane, umtunduluka-omncane, umkholotshwana (Zul.);umtfundvuluka, umthunduluka (Swa.); nt

Family: Olacaceae

A spiny shrub of African savannas that bears brightly coloured, edible fruits, and has a long history of medicinal value for traditional healers and western...

20 / 07 / 2020 | Mpho Mathalauga | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Begonia homonyma

Common names: large-leaved wild begonia (Eng.); wildebegonia (Afr.); idlula (Zul.)

Family: Begoniaceae

A soft, fleshy perennial with a swollen stem base, red-tinged stems and white or pink flowers in summer. It is an attractive, shade garden plant and pot...

13 / 07 / 2020 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Maerua angolensis subsp. angolensis

Common names: bead-bean tree, bead-pod-tree, knobbly-bean tree (Eng.); knoppiesboontjieboom (Afr.); umenwayo, umgodithi (Zulu); umvitsi (Swati.); mogôgwane, mooman

Family: Capparaceae

This frost and drought resistant tree, with its scented flowers from mid-winter until early summer, will attract butterflies and insect-eating birds, in...

06 / 07 / 2020 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Digitaria eriantha

Common names: common finger grass, digit grass, giant pangola grass, Pongola finger grass, Smuts finger grass; woolly finger grass (Eng.); kortbeenhoenderspoor, kru

Family: Poaceae

...

06 / 07 / 2020 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria

Thamnochortus acuminatus

Common names: goldhead thatchreed (Eng.)

Family: Restionaceae

A dwarf, densely tufted restio, which shows off its large inflorescences, golden-tan sheaths and bracts in spring, when flowering. ...

29 / 06 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gasteria visseri

Common names: Visser’s ox-tongue (Eng.); Visser-beestong (Afr.).

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria visseri is a compact, slow-growing succulent, with dark green, spreading to recurved leaves in a tight rosette, proliferating from the base and...

29 / 06 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Hypoxis membranacea

Common names: small white star flower

Family: Hypoxidaceae

A remarkable and delicate, small, white-flowered hypoxis, well suited to small gardens, in moist areas....

22 / 06 / 2020 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG

Nicotiana africana

Common names: African tobacco (Eng.); Afrika tabak, Afrika-twak (Afr.)

Family: Solanaceae

The African tobacco (Nicotiana africana) is a branched shrub, bearing yellowish green, curved, tubular flowers in summer, only known from a few mountain...

22 / 06 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Gasteria camillae

Common names: camilla gasteria (Eng.); camilla-beestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria camillae is a slow-growing, dwarf succulent with light grey-green, spreading to recurved leaves in rosettes, proliferating from the base and eventually...

15 / 06 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Coleus genus

Coleus hadiensis 'Penge' (Photo Alice Notten)

Common names: coleus

Family: Lamiaceae

For many years, the plant we’ve known as coleus, was the popular garden plant with multi-coloured leaves, although its accepted scientific name was...

08 / 06 / 2020 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plectranthus madagascariensis

Common names: thicket coleus, Madagascar coleus, candle plant (Eng.); ruigtemuishondblaar, Madagaskarmuishondblaar (Afr.); iboza lehlathi, ilozane (isiZulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus madagascariensis...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pycnostachys urticifolia

Common names: hedgehog sage, large hedgehog flower, prickly sage, blue boys, nettle-leaf pycnostachys, dark blue pycnostachys (Eng.); ystervarksalie, groot ystervar

Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus livingstonei...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Pycnostachys reticulata

Common names: prickly sage, blue soldier sage (Eng.); stekelsalie (Afr.); umvuthuza, uhlalawane (Zulu)

Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus kirkii ...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plectranthus venteri

Common names: Sekukuni spurflower (Eng.); sekoekoeniesalie (Afr.)

Family: Lamiaceae

See Coleus venteri ...

07 / 06 / 2020 | | Kirstenbosch NBG

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