Plants of the Week

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

Adenia glauca

Adenia glauca
Common names: blue leaved elephant’s foot (Eng.); bobbebjaangif (Afr.)
Family: Passifloraceae

The oddly shaped, swollen stem and twining vines of Adenia glauca can be seen growing in the driest parts of southern Africa. Its soft greyish green, palmately-shaped...

16 / 03 / 2020 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Coccinia rehmannii

Coccinia rehmannii
Common names: wild cucumber (Eng.); wilde komkommer (Afr.); kgaba, kubjana, mogakangwaga, oro, otjinaga, mmadigônyane (Tsw.); uselwa-lwenyoka (Zul.)
Family: Cucurbitaceae

Coccinia rehmannii is a perennial creeper or climber arising from a large tuberous rootstock, with conspicuous, many-seeded, globose fruits....

16 / 03 / 2020 | Khululwa Mfondini | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos ghellinckii

Encephalartos ghellinckii
Common names: Drakensberg cycad (Eng.); drakensbergbroodboom (Afr.); isidawu (Zul.); umguza (Xho.)
Family: Zamiaceae

The Drakensberg cycad should be not be confused with any other species because of its very narrow and exceptionally revolute leaflets, which are unique...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Cotula coronopifolia

Cotula coronopifolia
Common names: water buttons, button weeds, brass buttons (Eng.); gansgras, eendekos (Afr.).
Family: Asteraceae

Cotula coronopifolia is a cute yellow button daisy that is either annual or perennial, which occurs along edges of saline or freshwater pools, between...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Aarifah Jakoet | Compton Herbarium
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Senecio voigtii

Senecio voigtii
Common names: Voigt’s senecio
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio voigtii is an attractive, multi-stemmed shrublet, 300-600 mm tall, from the dry river valleys in the Eastern Cape. It is immediately recognized...

09 / 03 / 2020 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe castanea

Aloe castanea
Common names: cat's tail aloe (Eng.), katstertaalwyn (Afr.), borolo, suwopa, sekgopha (Northern Sotho)
Family: Asphodelaceae

An attractive, large aloe that occurs in savanna and grassland, with very distinctive spreading branches and snake-like Inflorescences; and flowers filled...

02 / 03 / 2020 | Ntuthuko Mabuya | Pretoria NBG
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Dombeya kirkii

Dombeya kirkii
Common names: river wild pear, river dombeya (Eng.); rivierdrolpeer (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

A fast growing and beautiful, ornamental wild pear with masses of white flowers in late summer and winter....

02 / 03 / 2020 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Berkheya setifera

Berkheya setifera (Photo Marinda Koekemoer)
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...

24 / 02 / 2020 | Bathabile Ndlovu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Elegia persistens

Elegia persistens
Common names: handsome goldreed
Family: Restionaceae

 A very attractive, medium-sized, reed-like perennial, with golden-brown flower heads, that can be used to enliven any garden....

24 / 02 / 2020 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Asclepias genus

Asclepias woodii (Photo A Shuttleworth)
Common names: milkweed (Eng.); melkbos (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Asclepias (as most of the taxa in the family Apocynaceae in the broad sense, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), are an interesting group...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pterodiscus luridus

Pterodiscus luridus
Common names: lurid flowered pterodiscus
Family: Pedaliaceae

Pterodiscus luridus has a large swollen caudex aboveground that resembles a miniature baobab, particularly noticeable when the stems die back in winter...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Asclepias

Asclepias woodii (Photo A Shuttleworth)
Common names: milkweed (Eng.); melkbos (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Members of the genus Asclepias (as most of the taxa in the family Apocynaceae in the broad sense, subfamily Asclepiadoideae), are an interesting group...

17 / 02 / 2020 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Brachylaena glabra

Brachylaena glabra
Common names: malbar, malabar silver-oak (Eng.); malbarboom, malblaar (Afr.); umphahla-wehlathi, amacirha (Xhosa); umphahla (Zulu)
Family: Asteraceae

A member of the Aster family, Brachylaena glabra is a lovely medium-sized tree with a spreading crown and heads of small, white flowers....

10 / 02 / 2020 | Siphesihle Precious Sibiya | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Restio similis

Restio similis
Common names: slender blobs (Eng.)
Family: Restionaceae

A compact, medium-sized, reed-like perennial that makes a wonderful border plant, suitable for planting in groups in the fynbos garden....

10 / 02 / 2020 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adromischus maculatus

Adromischus maculatus
Common names: mottled pig's ears, calico hearts, chocolate heart, chocolate drop, cheetah heart (Eng.); bontplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

An ornamental succulent with fairly flat, wedge-shaped, thick leaves, which are often beautifully marked with chocolate-brown spots, giving them a marbled...

03 / 02 / 2020 | Katlego Selemela | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pelargonium luridum

Pelargonium luridum
Common names: starburst pelargonium, waving pelargonium, stalk-flowered pelargonium (Eng.); wildemalva, rabassam (Afr.); inyonkulu, isandla sonwabu, umsongelo, unya
Family: Geraniaceae

One of the most beautiful, tuberous pelargoniums, with leaves that vary in shape on a single plant and bright pinkish beige or cream-coloured flowers on...

03 / 02 / 2020 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Barleria irritans

Barleria irritans
Common names: none
Family: Acanthaceae

Another well-flowered Barleria for your garden....

27 / 01 / 2020 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Lapeirousia pyramidalis subsp. pyramidalis

Lapeirousia pyramidalis subsp. pyramidalis
Common names: pyramid cabong, painted petals (Eng.); naeltjie, koringblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

This hardy, dwarf irid is ideal for arid areas and has strikingly attractive, fragrant flowers in spring....

27 / 01 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Aloe rupestris

Aloe rupestris
Common names: bottlebrush aloe, rock aloe (Eng); borselaalwyn, kraalaalwyn (Afr.); inhlaba (Siswati); uphondonde (isiXhosa); inkalane, uphondonde, umhlabanhazi (isi
Family: Asphodelaceae

A handsome aloe with tightly packed yellow flowers that mature to an alluring scarlet or deep orange, forming beautiful, breathtaking, bottlebrush inflorescences...

20 / 01 / 2020 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syncarpha ferruginea

Syncarpha ferruginea
Common names: rusty everlasting (Eng.); verroes-sewejaartjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Syncarpha ferruginea is a small fynbos shrub with felted grey leaves and attractive yellow-brown, everlasting flower heads in spring and summer....

20 / 01 / 2020 | Zaynab Shaik | Compton Herbarium
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