Plants of the Week

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

Zantedeschia odorata

Zantedeschia odorata in flower
Common names: scented arum (Eng.); soetvarkblom (Afr.)
Family: Araceae

Zantedeschia odorata is a rare, winter-growing, white arum with a moderately sweet scent and attractive, arrow-shaped leaves. With careful attention to...

01 / 12 / 2014 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kniphofia rooperi

Plant in flower
Common names: winter poker, Rooper's red-hot poker (Eng.); lentevuurpyl (Afr.); icacane (isiZulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This evergreen perennial produces beautiful flowers with buds ranging from bright red to orange-yellow and the actual flowers ranging from orange-red to...

01 / 12 / 2014 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Pelargonium album

Plant in flower
Common names: Pilgrim's Rest Pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

This is a striking plant with light green, fragrant foliage, suitable for the shady mixed border....

08 / 12 / 2014 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ozoroa sphaerocarpa

Tree growing in habitat
Common names: currant resin tree (Eng.); korenteharpuisboom (Afr.); imfuce lemnyamma (IsiSwati); monoko (Sepedi)
Family: Anacardiaceae

This relatively small tree has small whitish flowers, with the sexes occurring on separate plants.  It is highly valued by rural communities because...

08 / 12 / 2014 | Mahlatse Mogale | TSP
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Gasteria nitida

Gasteria nitida growing in natural habitat, east of Bathurst, E.Cape
Common names: Bathurst ox-tongue; Bathurst-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria nitida is a medium-sized, aloe-like succulent, endemic to the Eastern Cape, growing in grassland regions. It has showy, banded leaves, and grows...

15 / 12 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gladiolus vandermerwei

Flowers of Gladiolus vandermerwei
Common names: Overberg renosterveld gladiolus (Eng.); rooipypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus vandermerwei is a highly threatened species, occurring in the Ruens Renosterveld areas of the eastern Overberg. This species has become a flagship...

15 / 12 / 2014 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Syntrichia papillosa

Spreading leaves
Common names: marble screw-moss
Family: Pottiaceae

The relatively large brood-bodies on the leaves of Syntrichia papillosa are visible with the naked eye or through a hand-lens....

22 / 12 / 2014 | Jacques van Rooy | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crassula orbicularis

Crassula orbicularis leaves
Common names: stonecrop (Eng.); klipblom (Afr.); umadinsane (isiZulu)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula orbicularis is an ideal plant for any shade garden. Its wonderful appearance and the ease at which it may be grown, make it a pleasure for both...

22 / 12 / 2014 | James Deacon | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica annectens

Bush in flower
Common names: cliff-hanger heath
Family: Ericaceae

This late summer flowering erica  is only found on the Cape Peninsula....

29 / 12 / 2014 | Julia September | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Chrysocoma coma-aurea

Bright yellow flowerheads and leaves
Common names: golden heads, golden bitter bush, golden cowcud (Eng.); bitterbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This species is a showy shrub of fast growth that may be planted close together to form a good border plant, along the edges of a flower bed....

29 / 12 / 2014 | Papama Tsoanyane | Harold Porter NBG
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Aloidendron tongaense

Flowers
Common names: Tonga tree aloe (Eng.); Tonga boomaalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

A medium-sized tree-aloe endemic to the coastal forests in northern Zululand and southern Mozambique. It has showy, curved, orange flowers, and grows well...

05 / 01 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Encephalartos cupidus

Plant growing in garden
Common names: Blyde River cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos cupidus is a very attractive, desirable, frost-hardy, dwarf, multi-stemmed cycad with its usually subterranean stem and blue green leaves,...

05 / 01 / 2015 | K w Sepheka | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Phragmites australis

Phragmitesaustralis in flower
Common names: commom reed; fluitjiesriet (Afr.); lehlaka (SeSotho.); umHlanga (isiZulu.); lutanga (Tshivenda.)
Family: Poaceae

Phragmites australia is a  cosmopolitan perennial grass/reed with grey-green leaves and a light brown to purple inflorescence and the flowers are...

12 / 01 / 2015 | Aluoneswi Caroline Mashau | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Delosperma tradescantioides

Delosperma tradescantioides
Common names: Kei-delosperma (Engl.); Keivygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

The Kei-delosperma is a cliff-hanger, mat-forming plant endemic to the Kei River and its tributaries, in the Eastern Cape. It has large, flat, hairy to...

12 / 01 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Sansevieria hyacinthoides

Inflorescence
Common names: mother-in-law’s tongue, piles root, bowstring hemp (Eng.); skoonma-se-tong, aambeiwortel, haasoor (Afr.); kai, ghaiwortel (Khoi); isikholokotho (Xho
Family: Ruscaceae

The mother-in-law’s tongue is an evergreen, perennial herb, with its handsome robust, flat, dark green and fibrous leaves that attact game. Its scented...

19 / 01 / 2015 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ursinia calenduliflora

Plant in flower. Image Wikicommons
Common names: Namaqua parachute daisy, Springbok rock-ursinia; bergmagriet, berggousblom (Afrikaans).
Family: Asteraceae

...

19 / 01 / 2015 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica diaphana

Flowers of Erica diaphana
Common names: diaphanous heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica diaphana is a strong-growing heath from the southern Cape that brings summer colour to the fynbos garden....

26 / 01 / 2015 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Coleotrype natalensis

Coleotrype natalensis showing leaves and flower
Common names: none recorded
Family: Commelinaceae

The genus Coleotrype is characterised by its extremely contracted inflorescences, with each unit being subtended by a relatively large bract, and the petals...

26 / 01 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Gnidia denudata

Inflorescence
Common names: furry saffron bush (Eng.); saffraan (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Gnidia denudata is an attractive bushy shrub with long hairs that gives an effect of silver-like foliage. Like any other Gnidia species, it has terminal...

02 / 02 / 2015 | Mpendulo Gabayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Asparagus virgatus

Asparagus virgatus. Photo Dr Wynand Uys
Common names: broom asparagus, slender asparagus, ‘Tiki’ fern, African broom fern (Eng.); makkatdoring, katstertjie (Afr.); ibutha, ihabiya, iphinganhloya, unwe
Family: Asparagaceae

Asparagus virgatus is an evergreen, perennial plant that produces small, greenish white flowers in summer, and small, spheroid, red seeds. It is also known...

02 / 02 / 2015 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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