Plants of the Week

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

Phyllanthus reticulatus

Phyllanthus reticulatus foliage
Common names: potato plant, roast potato plant (Eng); aartappelbos (Afr); intaba-yengwe, umchumelo (isiZulu); thethenya (xiTsonga)
Family: Phyllanthaceae

Phyllanthus reticulatus is usually a dense deciduous shrub or small tree with a distinct smell that is emitted by the minute flowers when they open...

21 / 06 / 2010 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Bachmannia woodii

Bachmannia woodii flowers
Common names: Four-finger Bush (E); Viervingerbos (Afr); umPhunzisa (X), umTswantswantsa (X)
Family: Brassicaceae

...

28 / 06 / 2010 | V Maharaj | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Paranomus reflexus

Paranomus reflexus flowerheads
Common names: Van Staden's sceptre
Family: Proteaceae

Paranomus reflexus is an unusual, decorative fynbos shrub with showy winter flowers; it is probably the best known paranomus but is not often seen...

28 / 06 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diascia patens

Diascia patens 'Cheeky Chief'
Common names: twinspurs (Eng.); horingkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Little is known about the petite Diascia patens with its clambering habit and long flowering season. It should have made its appearance as a quaint addition...

05 / 07 / 2010 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Haplocladium angustifolium

Haplocladium angustifolium
Common names: Narrow-leaved small-feathered moss
Family: Leskeaceae

The mosses are a group of non-flowering plants belonging to the Bryophyta division of the main plant kingdom. They are fairly small with most of their...

05 / 07 / 2010 | N Phepo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Elephantorrhiza elephantina

Elephantorrhiza elephantina - an individual flowering branch projecting from the ground
Common names: eland's bean, eland's wattle, elephant's root (Eng.); baswortel, elandsboontjie, leerbossie, looiersboontjie, olifantswortel (Afr.); mupangara (Shona)
Family: Fabaceae

Underground trees might sound like a new environmentalist movement, but these fascinating plants do exist in reality. In more than one way, they've...

12 / 07 / 2010 | Alicia Grobler | Pretoria NBG
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Hibiscus pedunculatus

Hibiscus pedunculatus flower
Common names: pink mallow, forest pink hibiscus (Eng.); wildestokroos, pienk hibiskus (Afr.); indola ebomvu (Zulu)
Family: Malvaceae

A delicate, delightful, indigenous hibiscus, with bright pink flowers on dainty stalks....

12 / 07 / 2010 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica glauca var. glauca

Erica glauca var. glauca
Common names: cup-and-saucer heath (Eng.); kommetjiepieringheide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

The flowers of Erica glauca var. glauca are spectacular and most unusual for the genus in both construction and colour. The bracts...

19 / 07 / 2010 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Macledium zeyheri

Macledium zeyher plants
Common names: doll's protea, toy sugarbush (Eng.); skaapdissel, maagbitterwortel, maagbossie (Afr.); mahlabane, somanheva (Swazi); umlunge, umqele (Xhosa); isihlaba
Family: Asteraceae

The doll's protea is a strikingly attractive plant found in the grasslands of the eastern parts of South Africa, and used in traditional medicine.  ...

19 / 07 / 2010 | Marinda Koekemoer | Pretoria NBG
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Chascanum cernuum

Chascanum cernuum
Common names: None recorded
Family: Verbenaceae

Chascanum cernuum is a fine-leaved herbaceous perennial covered with whitish flowers for most of the year. It is well-suited to coastal gardens and light...

26 / 07 / 2010 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Plectranthus verticillatus

Plectranthus verticillatus groundcover
Common names: gossip spurflower, money plant, (Eng.); skindersalie (Afr).
Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus verticillatus is a perennial semi-succulent ground cover native to woodland and forest margins in southeast Africa. It has long been a popular...

26 / 07 / 2010 | S Khanyile | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Aloe maculata

Aloe maculata inflorescence
Common names: soap aloe (Eng.); bontaalwyn (Afr.); lekhala (S. Sesotho)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Although essentially a summer garden plant, it is indeed a garden plant for all seasons. There is always something of interest, even in mid winter (May-July)...

02 / 08 / 2010 | Stemmer Ngalo | Free State NBG
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Serruria glomerata

Serruria glomerata shrub
Common names: cluster spiderhead (Eng.); spinnekopbossie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Serruria glomerata is an attractive fynbos shrub that belongs in the Protea Family and occurs naturally only on the Cape Peninsula. Its compact rounded...

02 / 08 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbinella latifolia subsp. doleritica

Bulbinella latifolia subsp. doleritica.  Photo Bettina Koelle
Common names: rooikatstert
Family: Asphodelaceae

Bulbinella latifolia subsp. doleritica is a rare species from the Bokkeveld plateau and occurs in the vicinity of the internationally famous...

09 / 08 / 2010 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Euclea crispa

Euclea crispa foliage © G. Nichols
Common names: blue guarri (Eng.); bloughwarrie (Afr.); iyeza-lokuxaxazisa, umgwali (isiXhosa), motlhaletsogane (Setswana); idungamuzi, umgwali (isiZulu), gwari (Ped
Family: Ebenaceae

The blue guarri is a nea, well-shaped tree ideally suited to smaller gardens....

09 / 08 / 2010 | N Stoll | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Mimetes fimbriifolius

Mimetes fimbriifolius
Common names: tree pagoda, cowl pagoda, fringed pagoda (Eng.); kreupelboom, maanhaarstompie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Mimetes fimbriifolius is a beautiful rounded tree that was once common on Table Mountain, but its numbers have been greatly depleted by harvesting...

16 / 08 / 2010 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea angustata

Protea angustata
Common names: Kleinmond sugarbush
Family: Proteaceae

This is a protea you will be lucky to find when walking through the fynbos. Not only are there few plants, but they are also very cryptic. They are low-growing...

16 / 08 / 2010 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Gardenia volkensii

Gardenia volkensii flowers
Common names: bushveld gardenia, Transvaal gardenia (Eng.); Transvaalkatjiepiering, bosveldkatjiepiering, kannetjieboom, stompdoring (Afr.); morala (Northern-Sotho,
Family: Rubiaceae

The bushveld gardenia is a small, relatively slow-growing tree, ideal as a focus plant in summer rainfall gardens or on patios....

23 / 08 / 2010 | Hester Steyn | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Serruria rosea

Serruria rosea flower heads
Common names: rose spiderhead, bridesmaid spiderhead (Eng.); strooimeisie, bruidsbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Serruria rosea is one of the showiest spiderheads, producing a spectacular display of up to 20 rose-pink tightly clustered flower heads per stem....

23 / 08 / 2010 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Garuleum bipinnatum

Garuleum bipinnatum plant
Common names: gifhoutjie, slanghoutjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Garuleum bipinnatum flowers come in several colours and have bright yellow centres....

30 / 08 / 2010 | N Swelankomo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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