Plants of the Week

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E.g., 28/11/2024
E.g., 28/11/2024

Cryptocarya wyliei

Cryptocarya wyliei. Image © G. Nichols
Common names: red quince; red-haired laurel (Eng.); rooikweper (Afr.); umNgcabe (Zulu); umNqayane (Zulu, Xhosa)
Family: Lauraceae

Cryptocarya wyliei is a beautiful ornamental tree, easily grown from seed, with bright red edible fruit scattered among the tiny green leaves....

15 / 10 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Brachystelma modestum

Flowers and leaves (David Styles)
Common names: none known
Family: Apocynaceae

The name modestum appears well deserved by this diminutive species of Brachystelma since the flowers are so astonishingly attractive, while the plant...

22 / 10 / 2007 | Suvarna Parbhoo | TSP
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Crassula arborescens

Crassula arborescens
Common names: tree crassula (Eng.); beestebal (Afr.); Umchobozovithi (Swazi)
Family: Crassulaceae

Unlike most crassulas which are relatively small succulent plants, Crassula arborescens is an outstanding, squat, succulent tree that is easily recognizable...

22 / 10 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria mackenii

Barleria mackenii
Common names: Mr McKen's barleria (Eng.): bosviooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria mackenii is a medium-sized shrub with mauve, tubular flowers which appear from February to June....

29 / 10 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Lachenalia sargeantii

Flowering after fire
Common names: none
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Lachenalia sargeantii is a striking, early summer-flowering plant with pendulous, tubular ivory blooms marked with apple-green, bright pinkish magenta...

29 / 10 / 2007 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbine narcissifolia

Plant showing leaves and flowers
Common names: strap-leaved bulbine, snake flower (Eng.); lintblaar bulbine, geelslangkop, wildekopieva (Afr.); khomo-ea-balisa, serelelile (Southern Sotho)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The grey-green, laxly twisted leaves and compact inflorescence of yellow flowers and white bracts covering the flower buds, make the strap-leaved bulbine, Bulbine...

05 / 11 / 2007 | Ronell R. Klopper | Biosystematics
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Ursinia sericea

Plant in flower
Common names: silver lace-leaf ursinia (Eng.); geelmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Ursinia sericea is an attractive, easy-to-grow perennial, adding texture and silver highlights to the garden....

05 / 11 / 2007 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Serruria florida

Serruria florida in flower
Common names: blushing bride, pride of Franschhoek (Eng.); skaamblom, trots van Franschhoek (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

The delicate beauty of Serruria florida justifies its recognition as the most beautiful of the genus....

12 / 11 / 2007 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria elegans

Plant in flower
Common names: white bushveld barleria ( Eng.); wit bosviooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

...

19 / 11 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Freylinia crispa

Flowers
Common names: Kouga bell-bush (Eng.); Kouga klokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

The attractive purple flowers of the Kouga bell-bush will brighten up your garden....

19 / 11 / 2007 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe pearsonii

Aloe pearsonii
Common names: Pearson's aloe
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe pearsonii is a very distinctive aloe with its almost perfectly arranged vertical rows of leaves that cover the slender stems like a long narrow skirt....

26 / 11 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diospyros dichrophylla

Fruit
Common names: poison star-apple (Eng.); gifsterappel (Afr.); umnqandane (Zulu)
Family: Ebenaceae

Diospyros dichrophylla is not as well known as some of members of the genus such as the oriental persimmon (D. kaki ), a lovely edible fruit...

26 / 11 / 2007 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Dietes iridioides

Dietes iridioides flower and fruit
Common names: wild iris, wood iris (Eng.); wilde-iris (Afr.); indawo-yehlathi, isiqiki-sikatokoloshe, isishuphe somfula (isiZulu)
Family: Iridaceae

Dietes iridioides is not common in residential gardens and landscapes, yet it is considered a good garden subject....

03 / 12 / 2007 | Cosmos Radebe | Pretoria NBG
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Disa tripetaloides

Disa tripetaloides
Family: Orchidaceae

Disa tripetaloides is a terrestrial evergreen orchid with beautiful white flowers. It grows along perennial mountain streams and on damp mountain slopes...

03 / 12 / 2007 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elegia stipularis

E. stipularis
Common names: cushion restio
Family: Restionaceae

Elegia stipularis is a colourful and delicate low-growing and water-wise restio that can be used to enliven any garden....

10 / 12 / 2007 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pachypodium

Pachypodium species
Common names: P. baronii var. windsorii : none; P. * bispinosum : bobbejaankos, kragman, sterkman, kamoa (Afr.); P. densiflorum var. densiflorum, P. geayi, P. horom
Family: Apocynaceae

Pachypodiums are caudiciform succulents and many of the species produce spectacular flowers. They exhibit a wide range of bizarre growth forms, from bottle-,...

10 / 12 / 2007 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Helichrysum aureonitens

In Flower
Common names: golden everlasting (Eng.); goue sewejaartjie (Afr.); toane-ntja, toane-poli (S. Sotho); impepho-emphlope, indondokozane, inkondlwane (Xhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

The silvery-white leaves of Helichrysum aureonitens contrast well with green plants and create a sense of coolness in a garden. The golden flowers are...

17 / 12 / 2007 | J Ready | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Streptocarpus polyanthus

Flowers
Family: Gesneriaceae

Streptocarpus polyanthus is an interesting stem-less, free-flowering pot plant with unusually thick, scalloped leaves and lovely pale blue flowers in...

17 / 12 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia tirucalli

Euphorbia tirucalli
Common names: pencil plant, rubber-hedge euphorbia (Eng.); kraalmelkbos (Afr.)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Euphorbia tirucalli has unmistakable, brush-like branch masses that are a noticeable feature of the plant. It occurs over the widest distribution...

24 / 12 / 2007 | Werner Voigt | Harold Porter NBG
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Pavetta

Common names: bride's bush, Christmas bush ( Eng. ); bruidsboom, bruidsbos, kers(mis)bos (Afr.)
Family: Rubiaceae

When in full flower, these trees or shrubs truly remind one of a beautiful, radiant bride stunningly dressed in a specially designed white garment! As...

24 / 12 / 2007 | Paul Herman | Pretoria NBG
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