Plants of the Week

Arctotheca populifolia

Common names: beach pumpkin (Eng.); seepampoen, tonteldoek (blom), strandgousblom (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Arctotheca populifolia is a 'beach bum'! It is a common pioneer along the southern African coast. Have a look next time you are on the beach and...

19 / 02 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Pavetta schumanniana

Common names: poison bride's bush (Eng.); gifbruidsbos (Afr.); Sawoti (siSwati); Tshituku ( Venda ); isiMbuzana (isiZulu)

Family: Rubiaceae

What? A poisonous (or poisoned) bride? Surely that is the starting-point of a third-rate horror movie, or a children's fairy tale! No, in fact the...

12 / 02 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Aloe broomii

Common names: mountain aloe, snake aloe (Eng.); bergaalwee, slangaalwyn (Afr.)

Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe broomii has a unique feature that no other aloe has - the flowers and buds cannot be seen when the flower is fully open because they are completely...

12 / 02 / 2007 | Lusindiso Xulubana | Kirstenbosch NBG

Turraea obtusifolia

Common names: small honeysuckle tree, lesser honeysuckle tree, (Eng.); kleinkamperfoelieboom (Afr.); amazulu, ikhambi-lomsinga [roots], ikunzi [roots], ikunzi ebomv

Family: Meliaceae

Turraea obtusifolia is an ornamental shrub with glossy dark green foliage, masses of showy white flowers in summer and decorative orange-red fruits in...

05 / 02 / 2007 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria gueinzii

Common names: bush violet (Eng.); bosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

Barleria gueinzii is an unarmed (without thorns) evergreen shrub, which bears beautiful mauve to blue flowers from February to April and is ideal...

05 / 02 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Hermannia hyssopifolia

Common names: eight-day healing bush (Eng.); pokkiesblom, agtdaegeneesbossie (Afr.)

Family: Malvaceae

Hermannia hyssopifolia is a native of the Cape but it is known that this plant was grown in famous gardens in Europe more than 200 years ago. It was collected...

29 / 01 / 2007 | J Yeats | Kirstenbosch NBG

Barleria albostellata

Common names: grey barleria (Eng.); grysbarleria, fluweelblaarbosviooltjie (Afr.)

Family: Acanthaceae

This medium to large shrub produces beautiful white tubular flowers in spring and summer. In addition, the velvety grey leaves create a wonderful colour...

29 / 01 / 2007 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG

Dewinteria petrophila

Common names: Kaokoveld klipblom (Afr.)

Family: Pedaliaceae

Dewinteria petrophila is remarkable for its amazing reproduction on cliff faces. Apart from producing normal leaves, fruits and wind-dispersed seed,...

22 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Albizia adianthifolia var. adianthifolia

Common names: flat-crown albizia, rough-bark flat-crown, West African albizia (Eng.); platkroon (Afr.); umgadankawu, iGowane, umNalahanga, umNebelele, uSolu (Zulu);

Family: Fabaceae

Are you looking for a fabulous shade tree, rich in a unique cultural history and adored by elephants and butterflies alike? Then look no further than the...

22 / 01 / 2007 | Alicia Krige | National Herbarium Pretoria

Thunbergia alata

Common names: black-eyed susan (Eng.); swartoognooi (Afr.) ; isiPhondo (Zulu)

Family: Acanthaceae

In much of the warmer world, Thunbergia alata, or black-eyed susan, is well known as a fast-growing, long-flowering, friendly creeper. In South Africa...

15 / 01 / 2007 | S Smithies | Pretoria NBG

Muraltia heisteria

Common names: spiky purple gorse (Eng.); kastybos, persblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Polygalaceae

Muraltia heisteria is unknown to many people, yet it has so much potential as a garden plant, bringing colour, texture and charm to the garden. It...

15 / 01 / 2007 | Marga Den Hartigh | Kirstenbosch NBG

Plectranthus zuluensis

Common names: Zulu spurflower ( Eng. ); Zoeloespoorsalie, Zoeloemuishondblaar (Afr.).

Family: Lamiaceae

The delicate blue flowers and velvety leaves of Plectranthus zuluensis make this easily grown shrub a winner for those difficult shady areas in summer...

08 / 01 / 2007 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Moringa ovalifolia

M.ovalifolia growing on Brandberg, Namibia

Common names: phantom tree, ghost tree, African moringo (Eng.); sprokiesboom, meelsakboom (Afr.); Omutindi (Herero); Oluhongwe (Ovambo)

Family: Moringaceae

Moringa ovalifolia is a decorative, thickset, succulent-stemmed, erect tree of the dry, desert and semi-desert areas of Namibia. It can be seen on...

08 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Tylecodon ellaphieae

Common names: Rosyntjieberg-nenta (Afr.)

Family: Crassulaceae

Tylecodon ellaphieae is one of 46 species in the genus Tylecodon, all endemic to the winter rainfall region of South Africa and Namibia....

01 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Erythrina latissima

Common names: broad-leaved coral tree (Eng.); breëblaarkoraalboom, grootblaar (Afr.); umnqwane, umsintsi (Xhosa); umqwabagqwaba, umqongqazi (Zulu); mokhupye (North

Family: Fabaceae

This most unusual of the South African Erythrina species is an interesting tree with major bird-attracting potential....

01 / 01 / 2007 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Sandersonia aurantiaca

Common names: Christmas bells (Eng.); geelklokkie (Afr.); ushayabhici (Zulu); ihlamvu (Zulu)

Family: Colchicaceae

Seldom seen in cultivation in southern Africa, the highly ornamental, lantern-like flowers of Sandersonia aurantiaca are universally admired,...

25 / 12 / 2006 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Platycarpha

Common names: imboziza, inyathelo, imbozisayabesuthu (Zulu for P. glomerata )

Family: Asteraceae

Platycarpha is a relatively unknown genus of three species endemic to southern Africa. The plants are unusual because the inflorescences occur in the...

25 / 12 / 2006 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria

Ficus abutilifolia

Common names: large-leaved rock fig, rock wild fig (Eng.); grootblaarrotsvy, klipvy (Afr.); inkokhokho, impayi, ubambematsheni (Zulu); momelantsweng (Tswana); tshik

Family: Moraceae

The conspicuous white to yellow roots and stems of the large-leaved rock fig are an impressive sight, well adapted to hugging rock faces and splitting...

18 / 12 / 2006 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Pretoria NBG

Dalbergia obovata

Common names: climbing flat bean (Eng.); bobbejaankoudoring, rankplatboontjie (Afr.); udukuduku, isibandhlube, uphandlazi (Zulu); umzungu, umzungulu (Xhosa)

Family: Fabaceae

...

18 / 12 / 2006 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Ursinia anthemoides subsp. anthemoides

Common names: mountain marigold ( Eng. ); bergmagriet, ringmagriet (Afr.)

Family: Asteraceae

Ursinia anthemoides, with its bright yellow flowers, catches the eye wherever it is planted. In spring the plants make a mass display, especially in Niewoudtville...

11 / 12 / 2006 | N Swelankomo | National Herbarium Pretoria

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