Plants of the Week

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E.g., 12/11/2024
E.g., 12/11/2024

Haworthiopsis attenuata

Haworthiopsis attenuata
Common names: zebra plant, zebra haworthiopsis (Eng.) sebra-dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.); intelezi (isiXhosa)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Zebra Haworthia is an attractive, low-growing succulent that forms rosettes of fleshy, dark green leaves with white tubercles....

09 / 08 / 2021 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Ledebouria caesiomontana

Ledebouria caesiomontana
Common names: Blouberg African hyacinth
Family: Asphodelaceae

This small and cryptic species remains very elusive in its natural habitat, due to its ability to hide amongst grasses and other vegetation, as a result...

09 / 08 / 2021 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Corchorus olitorius

Corchorus olitorius
Common names: Egyptian spinach, Indian jute, wild jute, bush okra, Jew’s mallow, West African sorrel, jute mallow, tossa jute (Eng.); wilde jute, Indiese jute (Af
Family: Malvaceae

A tropical, fast-growing, annual herb, up to 4 m tall, with a fibrous stem and yellow flowers in 1 to 2 months from the time of germination....

02 / 08 / 2021 | Meshack Nethavhani | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Abrus laevigatus

Abrus laevigatus
Common names: luckybean creeper (Eng.); minnaarsboontjie, minnie-minnies (Afr.); umphitsi (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Luckybean creeper is a climbing shrub, with long, slender stems, mauve to cream flowers in summer, and brown or black seeds. It is widespread in South...

02 / 08 / 2021 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crossandra greenstockii

Crossandra greenstockii
Common names: bushveld crossandra (Eng.) rooiblom (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Crossandra greenstockii is a beautiful little perennial, with bright orange to red flowers all summer; it looks very stunning in flower, providing a welcome...

26 / 07 / 2021 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Ziziphus zeyheriana

Ziziphus zeyheriana
Common names: dwarf buffalo-thorn, small buffalo-thorn (Eng.); klein-wag-'n-bietjie, haakdoringbossie, haakdorinkie, haakbessie, toon-wag-'n-bietjie, wag-'n-bietjie
Family: Rhamnaceae

Ziziphus zeyheriana or, as it is commonly known, dwarf buffalo-thorn, is an inconspicuous, stunted, woody shrub and, just like its relative the tree Ziziphus...

26 / 07 / 2021 | Thamsanqa Msweli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Philenoptera sutherlandii

Philenoptera sutherlandii
Common names: forest apple-leaf, giant umzimbeet, bastard umzimbeet (Eng.); bosappelblaar, reuseomsambeet, basteromsambeet (Afr.); umsimbishana, umsimbithana (isiZu
Family: Fabaceae

A large and handsome evergreen tree, with showy pink or purple flowers in midsummer, that grows mainly in forest habitat....

19 / 07 / 2021 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyrtanthus

Cyrtanthus elatus
Common names: fire lily (Eng.); brandlelie, vuurlelie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cyrtanthus is an African genus of bulbous plants, comprising an extraordinary range of attractive flower forms, in a wide range of colours. Many species...

19 / 07 / 2021 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haworthiopis attenuata var. attenuata ‘Enon’

Haworthiopsis attenuata ‘Enon’
Common names: Enon haworthiopsis (Eng.); Enon-dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthiopis attenuata var. attenuata ‘Enon’ is a rare, ornamental, cliff-hugger, with numerous rosettes of dull green, triangular-lanceolate,...

15 / 07 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Anemone bracteata

Anemone bracteata
Common names: blistering leaves (Eng.), brandblaar (Afr.), umvuthuza (isiZulu), umvuthuza (isiXhosa)
Family: Ranunculaceae

Anemone bracteata is an understory plant, with densely hairy stems and leaf stalks, and greenish white flowers in summer; the whole plant is harvested...

12 / 07 / 2021 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Acmadenia alternifolia

Acmadenia alternifolia
Common names: Knysna porcelain flower (Eng.); Knysna-duineboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

A robust, fine-textured, floriferous, aromatic shrublet from the fynbos....

12 / 07 / 2021 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Knowltonia bracteata

Family: Ranunculaceae

Knowltonia bracteata is now called Anemone bracteata....

09 / 07 / 2021 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Knowltonia capensis

Common names: blistering leaves (Eng.); brandblare, katjiedrieblaar (Afr.)
Family: Ranunculaceae

Knowltonia capensis is now called Anemone knowltonia ...

09 / 07 / 2021 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Knowltonia vesicatoria

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

Knowltonia vesicatoria is now called Anemone vesicatoria....

09 / 07 / 2021 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haworthia angustifolia var. baylissii

Haworthia angustifolia var. baylissii
Common names: Witrivier Gorge haworthia (Eng.); Witrivier-dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthia angustifolia var. baylissii is a dwarf cliff-hugger, with numerous small rosettes of dull green, triangular-lanceolate, succulent leaves and...

09 / 07 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pavonia columella

Pavonia columella
Common names: pink pavonia (Eng.); indole ebomvu (isiZulu).
Family: Malvaceae

Pavonia columella, a hardy and aromatic subshrub, shows off its delicate, white to pink flowers all year round....

05 / 07 / 2021 | Ashton Welcome | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Erica ericoides

Erica ericoides
Common names: honey heath, erica heath (Eng.); heuningheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

This evergreen shrub produces masses of small pink flowers, with a distinctive, honey-like scent, in late summer, from January to May, and attracts lots...

05 / 07 / 2021 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Paranomus dregei

Paranomus dregei
Common names: scented sceptre (Eng.); parfuumsepter (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

A splendid shrub, with scented flowers that attract many insects, and very much catches the eye with its reddish involucral bracts, creamy flowers and...

28 / 06 / 2021 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Penaea mucronata

Penaea mucronata
Common names: noughts-and-crosses (Eng.)
Family: Penaeaceae

A resprouting shrub, with branches coppicing from a woody base, triangular leaves and yellow to red flowers in spring and summer; found in fynbos, and...

28 / 06 / 2021 | Kamogelo Solomon Modimola | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Trachyandra tabularis

Trachyandra tabularis
Common names: Table Mountain cliff trachyandra (Eng.); kranskool (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

An obligatory cliff-dweller, forming clusters of rosettes of firm, green, linear, succulent leaves that hang from the south-facing sandstone cliffs of...

24 / 06 / 2021 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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