Plants of the Week

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

Senecio speciosissimus

Senecio speciosissimus flowers
Common names: none
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio speciosissimus boasts attractive flower heads of pink to mauve flowers from July to December, although it seems to flower more abundantly during...

03 / 11 / 2013 | Benjamin Festus | Harold Porter NBG
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Erica halicacaba

Growing amonst the rocks
Common names: bladder-heath, gooseberry heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica halicacaba is a unique species with no close relatives in the genus Erica. It is notable for its unusual growth form, its particular niche...

03 / 11 / 2013 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Saltera sarcocolla

Flowers with ruptured pollen sacs
Common names: saltera, Cape fellwort, vlieëbos
Family: Penaeaceae

Saltera sarcocolla belongs to the Penaeaceae, which is a family confined to the fynbos region. Despite interesting variations in plant and flower...

28 / 10 / 2013 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Empodium elongatum

Empodium elongatum (David Styles)
Common names: autumn star
Family: Hypoxidaceae

Autumn stars, elusive among grasses, are spotted by their bright yellow starry flowers....

28 / 10 / 2013 | N Mahvungu | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Syncarpha vestita

In flower Photo Colin Paterson- Jones
Common names: cape snow, white everlasting (Eng.); witsewejaartjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

At the height of its flowering, this relatively short-lived, woolly shrublet forms masses of beautiful white flowerheads that shine in the bright light...

21 / 10 / 2013 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium
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Nephrotheca ilicifolia

Flower,  buds  and leaves.  Photo Tony Rebelo
Common names: None recorded
Family: Asteraceae

This aromatic shrub is a good addition to a fynbos garden....

21 / 10 / 2013 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna dentata

In flower
Common names: toothed othonna
Family: Asteraceae

This blue-grey succulent shrublet is ideally suited to coastal gardens and deserves to be more popular with gardeners....

14 / 10 / 2013 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gerbera galpinii

Flowering in habitat
Common names: marsh gerbera
Family: Asteraceae

Most Gerberas occur in grasslands, a few species are found in forests, while this one is unusual in that it is found in marshy places. Wherever they are...

14 / 10 / 2013 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gladiolus caryophyllaceus

Flowers of G.caryophyllaceus
Common names: Pink Afrikander (Eng.); Pienkafrikaner, Sandveldlelie, Sandpypie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Gladiolus caryophyllaceus is a robust and beautiful pink-flowered cormous plant with a heady perfume reminiscent of cloves and carnations. It makes...

07 / 10 / 2013 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyrtanthus ventricosus

Flowers. Photo Colin Paterson Jones
Common names: fire lily; brandlelie (Afrikaans)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This plant, a true fire lily, defies the elements by producing its beautiful, salmon to scarlet blooms just nine days after the seemingly destructive effects...

07 / 10 / 2013 | D Snijman | Compton Herbarium
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Tulbaghia simmleri

Tulbaghia simmleri
Common names: sweet wild garlic, sweet garlic, fragrant tulbaghia (Eng.); soetwildeknoffel, aandblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Alliaceae

Tulbaghia simmleri is a desirable and rewarding garden plant, with decorative and sweetly fragrant flowers, and it is easy to grow....

30 / 09 / 2013 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Silene undulata

Silene undulata © Tony Dold
Common names: dream root, gun powder plant, campion (Eng.); unozitholana, ubulawu, undlela zimhlophe (isiXhosa); kleinwildetabak (Afr.)
Family: Caryophyllaceae

This small herb is used as a 'dream plant'....

30 / 09 / 2013 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Plectranthus ciliatus

PLectranthus ciliatus
Common names: speckled spur-flower, eyelash spur-flower, white wild sage; gespikkelde muishondblaar, wimperspoorsalie (Afr.); lephele-phele (Sesotho); umsuthuza (is
Family: Lamiaceae

With its attractive white to light purple-pink flowers and ornamental foliage, this species is a pleasure for any moist subtropical garden, ideal for hanging...

23 / 09 / 2013 | B Busch | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Leucadendron floridum

Bush with female flowers
Common names: Flats conebush, silky euryspermum, sunny; tolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

As its name implies, the Flats conebush is suited to wetland areas or damp positions in the garden. Plant this shrub in groups to add seasonal colour and...

23 / 09 / 2013 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Zeuxine africana

Habit of Z. africana
Common names: None
Family: Orchidaceae

Zeuxine africana, listed as Endangered on the South African Red List, is only known from a single locality - the busiest port of southern Africa, Durban...

16 / 09 / 2013 | K Zulu | CREW
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Gazania rigida

Gazania rigida in flower
Common names: Karoo gazania
Family: Asteraceae

Gazania rigida is not easy to miss during late winter to early summer when it colours the landscape in bright splashes of orange and yellow....

16 / 09 / 2013 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Funaria hygrometrica

Plants with capsules - Photo and copyright Štepán Koval
Common names: Common cord-moss, little goldilocks, golden maidenhair
Family: Funariaceae

The attractive red-brown spore-bearing part of the plant (sporophyte), which consists of a long, twisting stalk (seta) with an asymmetrical, grooved capsule...

09 / 09 / 2013 | Jacques van Rooy | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Bulbine pendens

Growing in habitat Paradyskloof in spring.
Common names: bootlace bulbine (Eng.); skoenveter kopieva (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

This is a dwarf, summer-deciduous succulent with drooping, string-like leaves and ascending yellow flowers from cliffs in northern Namaqualand and the...

09 / 09 / 2013 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Syzygium guineense

Stem of Syzygium guineense
Common names: woodland waterberry, waterpear (Eng.); waterpeer (Afr.); umdoni (isiNdebele)
Family: Myrtaceae

This is a lovely medium-sized to large evergreen tree with a smooth greyish-white single stem on young trees and beautiful purplish-red young leaves. This...

02 / 09 / 2013 | Kuphumla Zenze | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pouzolzia mixta

Leaves of Pouzolzia mixta
Common names: soap-nettle (Eng.); seepnetel, wildebraam (Afr.); isikukuku (IsiNdebele); nthadzwa (Setswana); muthanzwa, murovhadembe (Tshivenda); nthadzwa (Xitsonga
Family: Urticaceae

Pouzolzia mixta is a multi-stemmed shrub with conspicuously bicoloured (two coloured) leaves which are spirally arranged with smooth margins....

02 / 09 / 2013 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG
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