Plants of the Week

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

Cotula barbata

Cotula barbata, white-flowered and yellow-flowered forms co-occuring. Photo Anthony Magee
Common names: gansogies, kleinganskos, knoppiesopslag (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Cotula barbata is a widespread, yellow- or white-flowered annual that occurs in the Western Cape and Northern Cape of South Africa.Fig. 1. Cotula barbata,...

20 / 03 / 2023 | Aarifah Jakoet | Compton Herbarium
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Cineraria cyanomontana

Cineraria cyanomontana. Photo Glynis Goodman-Cron
Common names: Blouberg cineraria
Family: Asteraceae

Cineraria cyanomontana is a small herbaceous plant endemic to the Blouberg Mountain in Limpopo Province. It is a perennial plant with grey or ash-coloured...

13 / 03 / 2023 | Lesibana Petrus Maema | Thohoyandou NBG
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Delosperma zoutpansbergense

Delosperma zoutpansbergense in flower in habitat
Common names: Soutpansberg delosperma (Eng.), Soutpansberg-vygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Delosperma zoutpansbergense is only known from south-facing upper cliffs along the upper Soutpansberg near Louis Trichard (Machadu) in Limpopo Province....

13 / 03 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Canthium armatum

Ripe fruits of Canthium armatum. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: armed turkey-berry, false turkey-berry (Eng.); valsbokdrol, basterbokdrol (Afr.); umphembedu, umvuthwamini, isikhwakwane-inkomazi (isiZulu); mufhaladz
Family: Rubiaceae

A shrub or small armed tree with fragrant white flowers in summer followed by edible fruits, yellow or reddish when ripe, with a shape that varies based...

06 / 03 / 2023 | Mulweli Maswoliedza | Compton Herbarium
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Ocotea kenyensis

Ocotea kenyensis leaves
Common names: northern stinkwood, false stinkwood, bastard stinkwood, mock stinkwood, Transvaal stinkwood (Eng), noordelikestinkhout, vals-stinkhout, basterstinkhou
Family: Lauraceae

A big, attractive, fast-growing, evergreen tree of up to 30 m height with a much-branched, rounded canopy of simple, glossy, usually aromatic leaves, with...

06 / 03 / 2023 | Winfred Velephi Ngwenya | Lowveld NBG
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Berkheya griquana

Bright yellow flower head of Berkheya griquana
Common names: East Griqualand African thistle, East Griqualand berkheya (Eng.); Griekwaland-Oos-bergdissel (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This robust yellow African Thistle flourishes in the grasslands of East Griqualand.Fig. 1. Bright yellow flower head of Berkheya griquana. ...

27 / 02 / 2023 | Kaveesha Naicker | CREW
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Delosperma waterbergense

Delosperma waterbergense in flower at Kirstenbosch
Common names: Waterberg delosperma (Eng.), waterbergvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Delosperma waterbergense is only known from cliffs along the upper Waterberg near Thabazimbi in the Limpopo Province. A fast grower, it has soft flaccid...

27 / 02 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Melianthus elongatus

Melianthus elongatus in flower in Kirstenbosch
Common names: strandveld honeyflower, dwarf honeyflower, small melianthus, turkey bush (Eng.); kruidjie-roer-my-nie, truitjie (Afr.)
Family: Melianthaceae

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20 / 02 / 2023 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pachypodium bispinosum

Pachypodium bispinosum flowers. Photo Jenny Potgieter
Common names: bell-flower thick-foot (English), bobbejaankos, kafferkambroo, kragman, sterkman, dikvoet (Afrikaans)
Family: Apocynaceae

A spiny succulent plant that shows off with bell-shaped, purple to pink, sometimes white flowers in spring and early summer....

20 / 02 / 2023 | Sisipho Mqungguthu | Karoo Desert NBG
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Adenia gummifera

Adenia gummifera var. gummifera leaves and fruits. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: snake-climber, monkey rope, gummy adenia (Eng.); impinda, impindamshaye, umphindamshaya, imfulwa (isiZulu); slangklimop (Afr.)
Family: Passifloraceae

A large, attractive, woody geophyte which often climbs into other plants, holding on by means of tendrils. Stems are bright green, with kidney-shaped and...

13 / 02 / 2023 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Mentha aquatica

Mentha aquatica by Olexandr Ghryb
Common names: water mint, wild mint, wild thyme, marsh mint, aromatic thyme (Eng); waterment, kruisement, kruistement (Afr), amabunu, imbozisa, umaliwane, umayime,
Family: Lamiaceae

A splendorous plant with purple flowers clustered in balls on the internodes of the stems, to entice anyone passing by the marshy field. Not only are you...

13 / 02 / 2023 | Swinky Nkosi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Delosperma zeederbergii

Delosperma zeederbergii in flower in its habitat
Common names: Spekboom River mesemb (Eng.); spekboomriviervygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Delosperma zeederbergii is only known from cliffs along the upper Spekboom River near Lydenburg (Mashishing) in Mpumalanga. A fast grower, it has soft...

06 / 02 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Lydenburgia cassinoides

Lydenburgia cassinoides in its natural habitat. Photo Christien Steyn
Common names: Sekhukhuni bushman's tea (Eng.); sekhukhuni-boesmanstee (Afr.); mohlolodi (Northern Sotho)
Family: Celastraceae

Sekhukhuni Bushman’s Tea is a medium sized tree, occurring in bushveld in Sekhukhuneland and Lydenburg, which showcases its distinctive cream to...

06 / 02 / 2023 | Ntsakisi Masia | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Adromischus phillipsiae

Adromischus phillipsiae on a sheer south facing cliff
Common names: bell-nenta (Eng.), klokkiesrosie, klokkiesnenta (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

The bell-nenta is a succulent plant growing along the western mountainous escarpment margin between Sutherland and Steinkopf in the Western and Northern...

30 / 01 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Anginon difforme

Anginon difforme
Common names: common needle-leaf, common finkel (Eng.); wildevinkel, wildeseldery (Afr.)
Family: Apiaceae

Anginon difforme is an endemic of southern Africa with reduced, needle-like leaves that resemble pine needles, so much so that it sometimes is confused...

30 / 01 / 2023 | Nokukhanya Nozipho Mhlongo | Compton Herbarium
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Haworthia marumiana var. reddii

Haworthia marumiana var. reddii
Common names: Waterdown Dam haworthia (Eng.), Klipplaat dwergaalwyntjie (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Haworthia marumiana var. reddii is a dwarf, mat-forming cliff-hugger, establishing clusters of numerous small rosettes of light green, succulent leaves...

23 / 01 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Albizia antunesiana

Albizia antunesiana, inflorescence and new foliage. Photo Mervyn Lötter
Common names: purple-leaved false-thorn (Eng.), persblaarvalsdoring (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

An attractive deciduous tree with a flattened, umbrella-shaped crown, large greenish to yellow, half-spherical, fluffy flower heads that make the tree...

23 / 01 / 2023 | Caroline Marima | Pretoria NBG
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Tylecodon ectypus

Tylecodon ectypus in habitat
Common names: Steinkopf tylecodon (Eng.); Steinkopf krimpsiektebossie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

A recently described, rare, dwarf, succulent geophyte from the Richtersveld, Northern Cape. Plants are solitary or in small clusters, with a sparingly...

16 / 01 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Oxytenanthera abyssinica growing in the DRC. Photo Duncan McKenzie
Common names: holy Venda bamboo, wild bamboo (Eng.); heilige Venda-bamboes, wilde-bamboes (Afr.); musununu (Ven.)
Family: Poaceae

A large, woody plant that belongs in the grass family, Poaceae, and is endemic to Africa, known as the holy Venda bamboo, wild bamboo or musununu in South...

16 / 01 / 2023 | Lesibana Petrus Maema | Thohoyandou NBG
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Marasmodes dummeri

Marasmodes dummeri
Common names: whip autumn-aster
Family: Asteraceae

The extremely small, adpressed leaves of Marasmodes dummeri and the terminal, clustered flower heads make it distinct from other species of the same genus....

09 / 01 / 2023 | Naomi Mdayi | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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