Plants of the Week

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

Gonioma kamassi

Gonioma kamassi (Andrea Durrheim)
Common names: kamassi, Knysna boxwood (Eng.); kamassiehout (Afr.); igala-gala (isiXhosa)
Family: Apocynaceae

A small, unusual and rewarding, rounded, evergreen shrub with fragrant white or pale yellow flowers that are produced in small clusters at the ends of...

27 / 10 / 2014 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Heteropyxis canescens

Heteropyxis canescens
Common names: forest lavender tree (Eng.); boslaventelboom (Afr.); inkunzana (Siswati)
Family: Heteropyxidaceae

The forest lavender tree is an evergreen to semi-deciduous, attractive small tree. It deserves to be utilised more in gardens and landscapes, due to its...

20 / 10 / 2014 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Gossypium herbaceum subsp. africanum

Gossypium herbaceum subsp. africanum (Ernst Schmidt)
Common names: wild cotton (Eng.); wildekatoen (Afr.); kotini (Xho.); litjinda (Swa.); ugampokwe, umgawuma (Zul.)
Family: Malvaceae

The wild cotton plant, Gossypium herbaceum subsp. africanum, is often only noticed when in fruit or when bearings its hibiscus-like flowers....

13 / 10 / 2014 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Pteronia stricta

Plant in flower
Common names: kaatjiegert, kaatjiegertbossie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Pteronia stricta is an upright shrub with showy yellow flower heads that appear almost throughout the year....

06 / 10 / 2014 | Hannelie Snyman | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cotula turbinata

Plant in flower-white form
Common names: bachelor buttons, funnel weed (Eng.); ganskos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Cotula turbinata is a pretty, early flowering annual that can be seen popping up in grassy patches along sidewalks and other moist open places throughout...

06 / 10 / 2014 | A Jakoet | Compton Herbarium
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Leucospermum prostratum

Leucospermum prostratum
Common names: yellow trailing pincushion
Family: Proteaceae

Leucospermum prostratum forms a charismatic, trailing carpet with scented, bright yellow, apricot, and then red flowers....

04 / 10 / 2014 | Phumza Bavuma | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Monsonia glauca

Monsonia glauca
Common names: dysentery herb (Eng.); naaldebossie, keitabossie, keitabossie (Afr.).
Family: Geraniaceae

This is a perennial herb with a woody base growing in scrubby grassland....

29 / 09 / 2014 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG
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Roella glomerata

Inflorescence, showing white flowers
Common names: Amazombe (isiZulu); ibhosisi (isiXhosa)
Family: Campanulaceae

Roella glomerata with its large, white to pale blue flowers, is the only member of the South African endemic genus, Roella that is found...

22 / 09 / 2014 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
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Diospyros scabrida var. cordata

Foliage showing red new growth
Common names: Hard-leaved monkey plum; blinkblaar,hardeblaartolbos (Afr.)
Family: Ebenaceae

This lovely little tree has three outstanding features to recommend it; its compact growth habit, its gorgeous glossy foliage and its unusual balloon fruit...

22 / 09 / 2014 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Isolepis

Isolepsis antartica. Photo: C Stirton
Common names: Sedges (Eng); madzhesi (Tshivenda)
Family: Cyperaceae

The genus Isolepis R.Br. comprises about 76 species. Members in the genus Isolepis mostly occur in the temperate regions of the southern...

15 / 09 / 2014 | Aluwani Tshiila | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Caputia scaposa

Flowers of Caputia scaposa var.scaposa
Common names: small caputia (Eng.); kleintontelbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This is a short, drought tolerant, succulent shrublet, belonging to the daisy family (Asteraceae), with showy, spreading leaves in a central rosette and...

15 / 09 / 2014 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Oldenburgia paradoxa

Oldenburgia paradoxa
Common names: cliff cushion bush (Eng.); klipkreupelbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia paradoxa is an unusual cushion-shaped species of the daisy family that grows on rocks in the Cape mountains and looks like an alpine plant....

08 / 09 / 2014 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Antidesma venosum

Antidesma venosum in fruit (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Tasselberry (Eng.), Voëlsitboom, Tosselbessie (Afr.); isiBangamlotha, Isiqutwane, Umhlabahlungulu, Umhlalanyoni (isiZulu); modulane (Northern Sotho),
Family: Phyllanthaceae

This is an evergreen to semi-deciduous shrub or small tree with a dense, rounded crown, flowers in long, thin catkins that attract insects and insect-eating...

08 / 09 / 2014 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Wahlenbergia cuspidata

Plant in flower
Common names: None recorded
Family: Campanulaceae

Wahlenbergia cuspidata is a bushy, perennial herb with large, showy, cup-shaped flowers, from summer-rainfall regions of South Africa....

01 / 09 / 2014 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
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Leucadendron eucalyptifolium

Male and female flower heads
Common names: gum-leaf conebush, tall conebush (English), grootgeelbos, geelbos (Afrikaans)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron eucalyptifolium is a decorative, fast-growing fynbos shrub that turns bright yellow in winter-spring....

01 / 09 / 2014 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Serruria fasciflora

Flowers
Common names: common pin spiderhead; speldespinnekopbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Serruria fasciflora is a beautiful shrublet that produces sweetly scented, silvery pink flowers all year round; definitely a very rewarding garden...

25 / 08 / 2014 | Phumza Bavuma | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria ovata

Flower
Common names: grassland barleria (Eng.); iningizimebomvu (isiZulu)
Family: Acanthaceae

This barleria has pretty flowers which change colour and it resprouts from a woody rootstock after fire....

25 / 08 / 2014 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Senecio barbertonicus

Flowerhead
Common names: succulent bush senecio, Barberton senecio, Barberton groundsel, Barberton coltsfoot, lemon bean bush, finger-leaved senecio
Family: Asteraceae

When everything else seems dead and dry on the Highveld, this plant flowers in abundance. The deep yellow flowers are sought after by many insects during...

18 / 08 / 2014 | Cynthia Mikateko Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Ruschia spinosa

Ruschia spinosa, with spines sticking out.
Common names: thorny vygie, spiny ruschia (Eng.); doringvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

If one is looking for a striking waterwise plant for a Karoo garden or a desert garden, look no further than this spinescent succulent shrub with beautiful...

18 / 08 / 2014 | Hannelie Snyman | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Terminalia phanerophlebia

Fruits (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: Lebombo cluster-leaf (Eng.); Lebombotrosblaar (Afr.); amaNgwe-amnyama, amaNgwe-omphofu (isiZulu); mambonjwane (SiSwati)
Family: Combretaceae

A decorative shrub to small tree with a hard, heavy brown wood. It is an ideal tree for street planting....

11 / 08 / 2014 | F Nonyane | Pretoria NBG
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