Plants of the Week

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

Erica brachialis

Erica brachialis old and new flowers
Common names: hairy-tube heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica brachialis is not the showiest of ericas; it is a long-lived, easy-to-grow and discreetly decorative shrub that is well suited to coastal gardens...

23 / 04 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Zanthoxylum capense

Fruit of Zanthoxylum capense
Common names: small knobwood (Eng.); kleinperdepram (Afr.); umlungumabele (isiXhosa); umnungamabele (isiZulu); monokwane (Sotho); khunugumorupa (Tsonga)
Family: Rutaceae

A large number of Zanthoxylum species have been studied and most of them contain biologically active benzophenanthridine alkaloids. Of particular...

16 / 04 / 2012 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Serruria villosa

Serruria villosa
Common names: golden spiderhead, valley spiderhead (Eng.); gouespinnekopbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Serruria villosa is a charming sweetly scented shrublet suited to the wild fynbos garden....

16 / 04 / 2012 | Louise Nurrish | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gasteria carinata

Gasteria carinata growing in its natural habitat (Near Bredasdorp, W. Cape)
Common names: Keeled ox-tongue, Bredasdorp gasteria (Eng.); Bredasdorp-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria carinata is a small to medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing triangular, mottled, channelled leaves and racemes of pinkish flowers during...

09 / 04 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Brachylaena transvaalensis

Brachylaena transvaalensis
Common names: forest silver-oak (Eng.); bosvaalbos, vaalboom (Afr.); umPhahla, iPhahla (Sw, Z); mphahla (NS); mufhata (V)
Family: Asteraceae

This medium to large tree with its dark green glossy leaves produces dense clusters of whitish flowers from July to September....

09 / 04 / 2012 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Pelargonium acraeum

Illustration of P. acraeum by M.E. Connell
Common names: horseshoe pelargonium
Family: Geraniaceae

This pelargonium provides year-round colour to your garden.Illustration by M.E. ConnellFlowering Plants of South Africa vol. 20, plate no. 779...

02 / 04 / 2012 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cheiridopsis purpurea

Cheiridopsis purpurea succulent
Common names: cheiridopsis
Family: Aizoaceae

Cheiridopsis purpurea is a small succulent endemic to the Richtersveld in the Northern Cape, with brilliant, intense, magenta-pink flowers....

02 / 04 / 2012 | Lize Wolfaardt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Gasteria pulchra

Gasteria pulchra plant
Common names: none recorded
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria pulchra is a small to medium-sized aloe-like plant bearing narrow and pointed, ascending, dark-mottled green leaves and a loose panicle of...

26 / 03 / 2012 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diascia lewisiae

Diascia lewisiae flowers
Common names: Joyce Lewis' diascia (Eng.); horinkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

According to K.E. Steiner, who described the species, Diascia lewisiae is known from only two localities on the Roggeveld escarpment near Nieuwoudtville...

26 / 03 / 2012 | Eugene Marinus | Hantam NBG
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Samolus porosus

Samolus porosus
Common names: water-pimpernel
Family: Theophrastaceae

Samolus porosus is a very adaptable herbaceous plant found growing in a variety of moist or wet habitats and often under harsh coastal conditions....

19 / 03 / 2012 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Bulbinella

B.nutans near Nieuwoudtville
Common names: bulbinella (Eng.); katstert (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The genus Bulbinella includes 18 species occurring in the Northern, Western and Eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa and an additional six species from...

19 / 03 / 2012 | S Boatwright | Compton Herbarium
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Streptocarpus vandeleurii

Streptocarpus vandeleuri
Common names: olifantsoor (Afr.)
Family: Gesneriaceae

This is an unusual herbaceous plant that consists of only one leaf with an impressive inflorescence of creamy white flowers that will die once it has flowered...

12 / 03 / 2012 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyrtanthus leucanthus

Cyrtanthus leucanthus
Common names: white fire lily (Eng.); witbergpypie (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cyrtanthus leucanthus, stimulated to flower by fire, is a threatened species of the largest African genus in the Amaryllidaceae family....

12 / 03 / 2012 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Tephrosia kraussiana

Tephrosia kraussiana in habitat
Common names: inSangwana (isiZulu); isiPhungo (isiZulu: smelling)
Family: Fabaceae

Tephrosia kraussiana is relatively easy to cultivate. Its pinkish-purple flowers will add colour to gardens....

05 / 03 / 2012 | Anisha Dayaram | TSP
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Erica canaliculata

Erica canaliculata
Common names: channelled heath
Family: Ericaceae

Erica canaliculata is a most impressive species that grows into a small tree that is covered with thousands of small pink flowers in summer. This...

05 / 03 / 2012 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Garcinia gerrardii

Garcinia gerrardii male plant
Common names: forest garcinia, forest mangosteen (Eng.); bosgeelmelkhout (Afr.); umbande, umbindi (Xhosa); isibinda, isikhwelamfene, umbinda (Zulu); sikhwelamkhala
Family: Clusiaceae

Related to the mangosteen from India, the forest garcinia is not a well-known garden ornamental, but it could be. It has fragrant flowers in early summer,...

27 / 02 / 2012 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia

Dodonaea viscosa var. angustifolia
Common names: sand olive (Eng.); sandolien, ysterbos (Afr.); mutata-vhana (Venda); mutepipuma (Shona)
Family: Sapindaceae

This well known, drought and wind resistant, indigenous plant can grow into a shrub as it is usually multi-stemmed, or a small tree when the lower branches...

27 / 02 / 2012 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Plectranthus ernstii

Plectranthus ernstii
Common names: bonsai mint; bonsai spurflower (Eng.), bonsai-spoorsalie, kransworsies (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

Plectranthus ernstii is a slow growing, semi-succulent perennial with swollen stems and a compact habit that resembles a bonsai, ideal for pot plants...

20 / 02 / 2012 | Andrew Hankey | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diascia insignis

Diascia insignis flower Photo: M. Kuhlmann
Common names: horinkies (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Diascia insignis, with its beautiful tiny reddish-purple flowers, is known only in and around Nieuwoudtville....

20 / 02 / 2012 | Colleen Rust | Hantam NBG
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Gazania splendidissima

Gazania splendidissima subshrub
Common names: None
Family: Asteraceae

Gazania splendidissima is an eye-catching perennial with striking greyish, semi-succulent leaves and golden-yellow to orange flowers....

13 / 02 / 2012 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium
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