Plants of the Week

Moraea villosa

Common names: peacock moraea (Eng.); uiltjie (Afr.) Two subspecies are recognized: subsp. villosa and subsp. elandsmontana Goldblatt

Family: Iridaceae

The peacock moraea previously occurred in great abundance in the mass spring-flower displays of the Cape lowlands. Sadly, this attractive flower has lost...

08 / 03 / 2010 | Lize Von Staden | TSP

Gasteria vlokii

Common names: Swartberg ox-tongue (Eng.); Swartberg-beestong (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria vlokii is one of the more or less 23 known Gasteria species endemic to southern Africa. It is easily propagated from leaf cuttings...

08 / 03 / 2010 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Dimorphotheca cuneata

Common names: rain flower, white bietou, Karoo bietou (Eng.); reënblom, witbietou, karoobietou (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca cuneata is a hardy, mainly winter-rainfall perennial producing masses of showy, white flowers in early spring....

01 / 03 / 2010 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

Brunia noduliflora

Common names: common brunia (Eng.); knopbos, knoppies, fonteinbos, stompies, volstruisies (Afr.)

Family: Bruniaceae

Brunia noduliflora is an unusual fynbos shrub and a Cape endemic; it has clusters of fluffy white pompon-like flower heads in winter and knobby fruits...

01 / 03 / 2010 | Zoleka Maphanga | Kirstenbosch NBG

Jamesbrittenia bergae

Common names: crimson phlox

Family: Scrophulariaceae

This fairly unknown unique, crimson-flowered, herbaceous perennial from the foxglove family rivals many pelargoniums for its intense luminous colour and...

22 / 02 / 2010 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG

Aloe brevifolia var brevifolia

Common names: short-leaved aloe (Eng.); kleinaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

...

22 / 02 / 2010 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW

Moraea ciliata

Common names: growweuintjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Moraea ciliata is a stemless geophyte (a deciduous perennial with underground renewal buds) with 3or 4 narrow and channelled leaves. The flowers are white,...

15 / 02 / 2010 | Colleen Rust | Hantam NBG

Liparia angustifolia

Common names: none recorded

Family: Fabaceae

Liparia angustifolia is an elusive little fynbos shrub growing in the understorey of lowland fynbos vegetation. It is beautiful thanks to bright yellow...

15 / 02 / 2010 | C Cowell | Kirstenbosch NBG

Euclea natalensis

Common names: Natal guarri, Natal ebony, large-leaved guarri (Eng.); Natalghwarrie, berggwarrie, swartbasboom (Afr.); umTshekisani, umKhasa (Xhosa); iDungamuzi, iCh

Family: Ebenaceae

Euclea natalensis is an adaptable, easy-to-grow tree with a neat, dense, rounded crown of dark green foliage, decorative pale, gold-tinged new growth,...

08 / 02 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Arctopus echinatus

A. echinatus female plant Photo A. Magee

Common names: flat-thorn (Eng.); platdoring, pokkiesdoring, sieketroos (Afr.)

Family: Apiaceae

Arctopus echinatus is an easily recognizable, flat-growing, spiny-leaved geophyte. It is an important South African medicinal plant with a long history...

08 / 02 / 2010 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium

Crassula rubricaulis

Common names: red-stem crassula (Eng.); rooistingelplakkie (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

A lovely succulent perennial with attractive red-edged leaves and abundant white flowers in mid to late summer, perfect for rockeries, pots and water-wise...

01 / 02 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Antithrixia flavicoma

Common names: None known

Family: Asteraceae

Antithrixia flavicoma is a beautiful but little-known shrub. With its large yellow flower heads and silvery-grey leaves it is immediately noticeable...

01 / 02 / 2010 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium

Trichodiadema pygmaeum

Common names: for the genus : 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...

25 / 01 / 2010 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Burkea africana

Common names: wild seringa (Eng.); wildesering (Afr.); mpulu (Tsonga), monato (Tswana); monatô (Northern Sotho); mufhulu (Venda)

Family: Fabaceae

An attractive, medium-sized, flat-topped tree, difficult to grow and not yet produced on a commercial scale....

25 / 01 / 2010 | T.T. Masupa | National Herbarium Pretoria

Erica baccans

Common names: berry heath (Eng.); bessieheide (Afr.)

Family: Ericaceae

Erica baccans is a well-known, showy species that produces bright, cherry-pink splashes of colour on the middle to lower slopes of the Cape Peninsula....

18 / 01 / 2010 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG

Bridelia micrantha

Common names: mitseeri, bruin stinkhout (Afr.); motsere (Sotho); ndzerhe (Tswana)

Family: Phyllanthaceae

Beautiful, fast growing shade tree, usually with scattered bright red leaves....

18 / 01 / 2010 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG

Pavetta cooperi

Common names: Christmas bush, pompon bride's bush (Eng.); pomponbruidsbos, kers(mis)bos (Afr.); luphehlwane (Siswati); is-Anywana (Zulu).

Family: Rubiaceae

...

11 / 01 / 2010 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Orbea lutea

Common names: yellow carrion flower (Eng.); geelaasblom, ghaap, gwaap, aasblom, kopseerblom, slang-gwaap (Afr.).

Family: Apocynaceae

...

11 / 01 / 2010 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria

Gomphocarpus physocarpus

Common names: balloon milkweed, balloon wild cotton, hairy balls, bindweed (Eng.); balmelkbossie, balbossie, wilde kapok (Afr.); umbababa, umbemiso, umangwazane, um

Family: Apocynaceae

Gomphocarpus physocarpus has striking yellowish, ball-like fruits and is an excellent butterfly plant, but it is poisonous if ingested; so keep it...

04 / 01 / 2010 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Schrebera alata

Common names: wild jasmine, wing-leafed wooden pear, (Eng.); wildejasmyn, houtpeer (Afr.); mulungwi (Venda); umGwenye-hlangula (Xhosa); umGwenya-hlungulu, umSishane

Family: Oleaceae

Wild jasmine anoints your garden with a pleasant, sweet-scented fragrance and glorifies it with white to dark pinkish red flowers during the summer season....

04 / 01 / 2010 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

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