Plants of the Week

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E.g., 24/11/2024
E.g., 24/11/2024

Bulbinella

B.nutans near Nieuwoudtville
Common names: bulbinella (Eng.); katstert (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The genus Bulbinella includes 18 species occurring in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa and an additional six species from...

19 / 03 / 2012 | S Boatwright | Compton Herbarium
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Samolus porosus

Samolus porosus
Common names: water-pimpernel
Family: Theophrastaceae

Samolus porosus is a very adaptable herbaceous plant found growing in a variety of moist or wet habitats and often under harsh coastal conditions....

19 / 03 / 2012 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diascia lewisiae

Diascia lewisiae flowers
Common names: Joyce Lewis' diascia (Eng.); horinkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

According to K.E. Steiner, who described the species, Diascia lewisiae is known from only two localities on the Roggeveld escarpment near Nieuwoudtville...

26 / 03 / 2012 | Eugene Marinus | Hantam NBG
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Gasteria pulchra

Gasteria pulchra plant
Common names: none recorded
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria pulchra is a small to medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing narrow and pointed, ascending, dark-mottled green leaves and a loose panicle of...

26 / 03 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cheiridopsis purpurea

Cheiridopsis purpurea succulent
Common names: cheiridopsis
Family: Aizoaceae

Cheiridopsis purpurea is a small succulent endemic to the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, with brilliant, intense, magenta-pink flowers....

02 / 04 / 2012 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Pelargonium acraeum

Illustration of P. acraeum by M.E. Connell
Common names: horseshoe pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

This pelargonium provides year-round colour to your garden.Illustration by M.E. ConnellFlowering Plants of South Africa vol. 20, plate no. 779...

02 / 04 / 2012 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brachylaena transvaalensis

Brachylaena transvaalensis
Common names: forest silver-oak (Eng.); bosvaalbos, vaalboom (Afr.); umPhahla, iPhahla (Sw, Z); mphahla (NS); mufhata (V)
Family: Asteraceae

This medium to large tree with its dark green glossy leaves produces dense clusters of whitish flowers from July to September....

09 / 04 / 2012 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Gasteria carinata

Gasteria carinata growing in its natural habitat (Near Bredasdorp, W. Cape)
Common names: Keeled ox-tongue, Bredasdorp gasteria (Eng.); Bredasdorp-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria carinata is a small to medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing triangular, mottled, channelled leaves and racemes of pinkish flowers during...

09 / 04 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Serruria villosa

Serruria villosa
Common names: golden spiderhead, valley spiderhead (Eng.); gouespinnekopbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Serruria villosa is a charming sweetly scented shrublet suited to the wild fynbos garden....

16 / 04 / 2012 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Zanthoxylum capense

Fruit of Zanthoxylum capense
Common names: small knobwood (Eng.); kleinperdepram (Afr.); umlungumabele (isiXhosa); umnungamabele (isiZulu); monokwane (Sotho); khunugumorupa (Tsonga)
Family: Rutaceae

A large number of Zanthoxylum species have been studied and most of them contain biologically active benzophenanthridine alkaloids. Of particular...

16 / 04 / 2012 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Erica brachialis

Erica brachialis old and new flowers
Common names: hairy-tube heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica brachialis is not the showiest of ericas; it is a long-lived, easy-to-grow and discreetly decorative shrub that is well suited to coastal gardens...

23 / 04 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Marchantia berteroana

M. berteroana male plant with antheridia and gemmae cups Photo S. Perold
Common names: umbrella liverwort (Eng.)
Family: Marchantiaceae

Marchantia berteroana is of one the most attractive and relatively large liverworts in South Africa. It thrives in constantly damp, shaded areas....

23 / 04 / 2012 | Nonkululo Phephu | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Eucomis vandermerwei

Eucomis vandermerwei
Common names: spotted-leaf eucomis
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Eucomis vandermerwei is a threatened alpine bulb with unusual maroon, fetid flowers and dark green leaves with deep maroon markings and strongly wavy...

30 / 04 / 2012 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Euphorbia clivicola

Family: Euphorbiaceae

This is a critically endangered, low-growing succulent perennial endemic to the Limpopo Province. It has short, spiny, 4-angled branches arising from an...

30 / 04 / 2012 | Lerato Hoveka | CREW
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Barleria meyeriana

Common names: Meyer's bushviolet (Eng.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria meyeriana is an ideal groundcover to cover areas in full sun in your garden....

07 / 05 / 2012 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Leucadendron laureolum

Leucadendron laureolum growing in habitat at Silvermine
Common names: golden conebush, golden sunshine-conebush, laurel-leaf conebush (Eng.); louriergeelbos, louriertolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

In midwinter, golden conebushes turn many Cape mountainsides bright yellow. These large fynbos shrubs thrive in a wide range of soils, and bring winter...

07 / 05 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adenopodia spicata

Adenopodia spicata growing at Vernon Crookes Nature Reserve, near Scottburgh
Common names: spiny splinter bean (Eng.); stekelsplinterboontjie (Afr.); lugagane (siSwati); umlungumabele (isiXhosa); ibobo, ubobo, umbambangwe, umlungumabele (isi
Family: Fabaceae

It's spiny all over, and the whip-like young stems lean out into the path and make themselves felt by the unwary. Meet the spiny splinter bean, a characteristic...

14 / 05 / 2012 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Roella ciliata

Roella ciliata growing in Brackenfell
Common names: prickly roella, white-eyed roella, giant capebell
Family: Campanulaceae

Roella ciliata is a sun-loving, summer-flowering fynbos shrublet with large, showy flowers, but it is not yet well known in cultivation because it is...

14 / 05 / 2012 | Zoleka Maphanga | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus alatus

Gladiolus alatus
Common names: common kalkoentjie, turkey-wattle flower (Eng.); kalkoentjie, kipkippies (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus alatus is a very brightly coloured plant and will catch your eye wherever you walk, with its showy orange, yellow and green flowers. It populates...

21 / 05 / 2012 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Pelargonium hermanniifolium

Common names: none recorded
Family: Geraniaceae

Pelargonium hermanniifolium is a very attractive Pelargonium with large flowers....

21 / 05 / 2012 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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