Plants of the Week

Ximenia americana var. microphylla

Common names: small blue sourplum (Eng.); kleinblousuurpruim (Afr.); ukolotshane, umtunduluka-omncane, umkholotshwana (Zul.);umtfundvuluka, umthunduluka (Swa.); nt

Family: Olacaceae

A spiny shrub of African savannas that bears brightly coloured, edible fruits, and has a long history of medicinal value for traditional healers and western...

| Mpho Mathalauga | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Berkheya setifera

Common names: buffalo-tongue thistle (Eng.); rasperdissel, rasperdisseldoring (Afr); ikhakhasi, ulimi-lwenkomo, ulimi-lwenyathi (isiZulu); indlebe-lenkomo (isiXhosa

Family: Asteraceae

A robust perennial, with profuse, bright yellow flowers and bristly leaves; one of the 71 species that are found in South Africa out of the 75 species...

| Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Pachycarpus campanulatus

Common names: cluster bells, toad plant, fairy bell pachycarpus, thick-fruit (Eng.); trosklokkies (Afr.); ishongwe (isiZulu).

Family: Apocynaceae

Pachycarpus campanulatus is a showy plant with large, hanging, bell-shaped flowers of up to 5 per umbel and exuding milky latex, like most plants in the...

| Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Sansevieria hallii

Common names: sickle-leaf mother-in-law’s-tongue (Eng.); sekelblaar-skoonma-se-tong (Afr.)

Family: Ruscaceae

Sansevieria hallii represents a rare succulent, with mottled, sickle-shaped leaves and beautiful white flowers. It is confined to the northeastern parts...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ottosonderia monticola

Common names: crossvygie (Eng.), kruisvygie, granietvygie, bergvingertjies (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Ottosonderia monticola is a dwarf, tufted mesemb, with ascending flowering branches above the leaf canopy. The flowering branch remains active for more...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia caffra

This tree is now called Senegalia caffra...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Calopsis paniculata

See Restio paniculatus....

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia tortilis

See Vachellia tortilis...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia polyacantha

See Senegalia polyacantha...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia xanthophloea

See Vachellia xanthophloea...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia erioloba

See Vachellia erioloba...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Acacia ataxacantha

See Senegalia ataxacantha...

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Scilla natalensis

This plant is now called Merwilla plumbea....

| | Kirstenbosch NBG

Searsia chirindensis

Common names: red currant (Eng.); bos-taaibos (Afr.); motha-thaa (North Sotho); umhlakothi (Xhosa); inhlokoshiyane enkulu (Xhosa); muvhadela-phanga (Venda)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The red currant, Searsia chirindensis, is an attractive, African tree with lovely reddish autumn foliage. It is common throughout the eastern part...

| Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG

Ximenia afra

Common names: large sourplum (Eng.); grootsuurpruim (Afr.); umThunduluka-obmvu (Zulu); Morokologa (Northern Sotho)

Family: Olacaceae

The large sourplum is a small tree or shrub with many traditional uses and colourful fruit. It is suited to growing in a bush clump or as part of a boundary...

| J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG

Trichodiadema pygmaeum

Common names: pygmy diadem vygie (Eng.); kareemoer vygie, perdevygie, donkievygie, doringkroon vygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Trichodiadema pygmaeum is a lovely dwarf succulent shrub with pretty pink flowers and hairy leaves. It is suitable for growing in a rockery and since...

| Olivia Tyambetyu | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Achyranthemum recurvatum

Fresh everlasting flowerhead. Image G.A. Verboom

Common names: bontveld chaff-flower

Family: Asteraceae

Achyranthemum recurvatum is a small, shrubby daisy with pretty pink flowerheads and attractive silvery foliage. This low shrub is endemic to a small...

| Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium

Stoeberia arborea

Common names: tree mesemb (Eng. ); rooi-vye, boomvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

Stoeberia arborea is the largest member of the Aizoaceae. It is a woody, ascending shrub, 2 to 5 m tall and bearing small white flowers. Stoeberias...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Caputia medley-woodii

Common names: KwaZulu-Natal caputia, Medley-Wood's caputia (Eng.), Nataltontelbossie (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

The KwaZulu-Natal caputia is a succulent leaved shrub with silvery leaves and bright yellow daisy-like flowers from summer to winter. Widespread from the...

| Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Sclerocarya birrea

Common names: marula (Eng.); morula (Northern Sotho); mufula (Tshivenda); ukanyi (Tsonga)

Family: Anacardiaceae

The edible fruits and the multiple uses associated with almost all parts of the marula, make it one of southern Africa's most valued trees....

| Thompson T Mutshinyalo | Pretoria NBG

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