Plants of the Week

Podalyria calyptrata

Common names: sweetpea bush, large pink keurtjie, water blossom-pea (Eng.); keur, keurtjie, keurblom, ertjiebos, waterkeurtjie (Afr.)

Family: Fabaceae

There are few shrubs to beat Podalyria calyptrata , with its attractive, glossy, silvery foliage and masses of sweet-scented mauve-pink sweetpea-like...

01 / 11 / 2004 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Polystachya pubescens

Common names: amabelejongosi (Zulu)

Family: Orchidaceae

This delightful bright yellow, fragrant epiphytic orchid is at home on a tree branch in the forest or on a sandstone rock in the full sun....

01 / 11 / 2004 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Encephalartos altensteinii

Common names: Eastern Cape cycad, Eastern Cape giant cycad (Eng.), oos-kaapse broodboom (Afr.), umphanga, umguza, isundu (Xhosa)

Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos altensteinii is a very ornamental garden plant and probably the most common of all the cycads in cultivation. This species is long-lived,...

08 / 11 / 2004 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG

Khadia

Common names: khadiwortel (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

The succulent plants of this genus have long been known as an additive to alcoholic fermentations, making them extra potent. It is the thick underground...

08 / 11 / 2004 | P Burgoyne | National Herbarium Pretoria

Kniphofia gracilis

Common names: graceful/slender red-hot poker

Family: Asphodelaceae

Kniphofias, or red-hot pokers as they are more commonly known, are popular, showy garden plants that have been valued for their dramatic appearance in...

08 / 11 / 2004 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Freylinia visseri

Common names: Velddrif bell-bush (Eng.); suurlat, Velddrif klokkiesbos (Afr).

Family: Scrophulariaceae

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15 / 11 / 2004 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG

Vepris lanceolata

Common names: white ironwood (Eng.); witysterhout (Afr.); Muruvula (Tsonga); Muhondwa (Venda); umZane (Xhosa); umOzana (Zulu)

Family: Rutaceae

What a lovely, underrated shrub or tree-a plant that South Africans can definitely try in their gardens in the future!...

15 / 11 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Zysmalobium involucratum

Common names: scented xysmalobium (Eng.); hongersnoodwortel, hongersnoodbossie, melkbossie (Afr.); udambisomkhulu, udelunina (isiZulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

The long, narrow, green leaves make Xysmalobium involucratum inconspicuous in unburned grassy areas unless it is flowering. In grasslands that are grazed...

15 / 11 / 2004 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Xysmalobium involucratum

Common names: scented xysmalobium (Eng.); hongersnoodwortel, hongersnoodbossie, melkbossie (Afr.); udambisomkhulu, udelunina (isiZulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

The long, narrow, green leaves make Xysmalobium involucratum inconspicuous in unburned grassy areas unless it is flowering. In grasslands that are grazed...

15 / 11 / 2004 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Eulophia speciosa

Family: Orchidaceae

With its fairly large, bright yellow flowers, Eulophia speciosa, one of the most common and widespread southern African eulophias, is a rewarding...

22 / 11 / 2004 | H Kurzweil | Compton Herbarium

Felicia filifolia subsp. filifolia

Common names: fine-leaved felicia, needle-leaved felicia, wild aster (Eng.); draaibos (Afr.); sehalahala-seseholo (Southern Sotho)

Family: Asteraceae

When in flower Felicia filifolia is an eye-catching mass of mauve flowers with pretty yellow centres that will create a stunning splash of colour in your...

22 / 11 / 2004 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Galpinia transvaalica

Common names: wild pride of India (Eng.); knoppieblaar (Afr.); UmDlampangele ( Zulu)

Family: Lythraceae

This tree is part of a small family of herbs, small trees and shrubs found in subtropical and tropical regions. Its attractive flowerheads and coloured...

22 / 11 / 2004 | Linette Ferreira | Pretoria NBG

Lobelia

Family: Lobeliaceae

A large cosmopolitan genus of many garden ornamentals of which the popular Lobelia erinus is one of the sixty-nine species native to South Africa....

29 / 11 / 2004 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium

Oncoba spinosa

Common names: snuff-box tree (Eng.); snuifkalbassie (Afr.)

Family: Salicaceae

This spiny shrub or small tree with pretty white flowers is known for the snuff boxes that can be made from its hard-shelled fruit....

29 / 11 / 2004 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG

Psychotria capensis

Common names: black bird-berry, bird-berry, bastard lemonwood, lemon bush (Eng.); swart-voelbessie, voelbessie, baster-lemoenhout, lemoenbos (Afr.); iZele, isiThiti

Family: Rubiaceae

Bulbuls, robins and barbets are a few of the locals spotted dining at the black bird-berry, with its attractive glossy foliage and showy red and yellow...

29 / 11 / 2004 | L Badenhorst | Kirstenbosch NBG

Hydrostachys polymorpha

Common names: white-waters plant (Eng.), phophoma-lasemanzini (Z)

Family: Hydrostachyaceae

This unusual plant is unable to survive without the turbulence of water. It thrives in the white waters which give such a thrill to rafters. Living life...

06 / 12 / 2004 | R Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Ixianthes retzioides

Common names: river bells (Eng.); rivierklokkies (Afr.)

Family: Stilbaceae

This is a beautiful plant, seldom seen. It is a rare endemic, confined to a few streams of the winter-rainfall Western Cape. It has striking, yellow, bell-shaped...

06 / 12 / 2004 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Phylica pubescens

Common names: featherhead (Eng.); veerkoppie (Afr.)

Family: Rhamnaceae

This attractive bush is densely covered with hairy leaves and each hair seems to gather the sunlight and make it glow. Early morning or late afternoon...

06 / 12 / 2004 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG