Plants of the Week

Lasiosiphon kraussianus

Common names: yellow heads (English); harige gifbossie (Afr.); isidikili, imfuzane, umsilawengwe (isiZulu); umarhedeni (isiXhosa)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

Lasiosiphon kraussianus is a useful medicinal plant, but it can be very poisonous to humans. It can also be very poisonous to foraging animals....

31 / 12 / 2013 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Lasiosiphon deserticola

Common names: saffron curryflower (Eng.); saffraan, saffraanbos, verfbossie, hotnotsverfbossie (Afr.)

Family: Thymelaeaceae

An evergreen shrub with bright, ochre-yellow, night-scented flowers, which can be used to make a yellow dye....

21 / 10 / 2019 | Odwa Obose | Compton Herbarium

Laportea grossa

Common names: spotted nettle (Eng.); gevlekte brandnetel (Afr.); ubazi, ububasa (Xhosa); imbabazane, imbathi (Zulu)

Family: Urticaceae

Laportea grossa has decorative, glossy dark green foliage with conspicuous white spots - an excellent plant to brighten up a shady bed, but it needs careful...

03 / 03 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lapeirousia pyramidalis subsp. pyramidalis

Common names: pyramid cabong, painted petals (Eng.); naeltjie, koringblom (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

This hardy, dwarf irid is ideal for arid areas and has strikingly attractive, fragrant flowers in spring....

27 / 01 / 2020 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Lapeirousia jacquinii

Common names: harlequin cabong, purple cabong, Jacquin's lapeirousia, purple corn-lily, wild violet (Eng.); kabong, paletblaar, rukkeperdjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

A small plant with vibrant purple, white and reddish flowers, best enjoyed at close quarters. It is perfectly suited for pots in small spaces, grows easily...

04 / 04 / 2022 | Natasha Lombard | National Herbarium Pretoria

Lapeirousia corymbosa

Common names: blue cabong (Eng.); bloucabong, koringblom, koringblommetjie (Afr.)

Family: Iridaceae

Lapeirousia corymbosa is now classified as Codonorhiza corymbosa ...

07 / 01 / 2013 | Sarah-Leigh Hutchinson | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lapeirousia anceps

Common names: sandveld cabong, cabung, chabi (Eng.); pienk koringblom (Afr.); cabong (Namaqua)

Family: Iridaceae

A small bulbous plant that is drought tolerant and thrives on low rainfall, transforming the veld with a spectacular display of masses of tubular, white...

04 / 02 / 2019 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG

Lantana rugosa

Common names: bird’s beer, bird’s brandy (Eng.); voëlbrandewyn, wildesalie (Afr.); sekwebetane (isiNdebele); utyani-bentaka, utywala bentaka (isiXhosa); impema

Family: Verbenaceae

From a distance, if it looks like the famous fever-tea or lemon bush plant (Lippia javanica), it is most likely Lantana rugosa. Sadly, sharing the common...

05 / 08 / 2019 | Lesiba Papo | National Herbarium Pretoria

Lannea schweinfurthii var. stuhlmannii

Common names: false-marula (Eng.); valsmaroela (Afr.); mmopu (NSo.); umganunkomo (Zul.)

Family: Anacardiaceae

This small to medium-sized, deciduous tree, with its small, creamy white to yellow flowers and aromatic leaves, will not only attract birds to your garden,...

18 / 12 / 2017 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lannea edulis var. edulis

Common names: grape lannea, wild grape (Eng.); wildedruif (Afr.); umgabunkhomo (isiZulu); mutsambatsi (siSwati); phepo (Setswana).

Family: Anacardiaceae

A dwarf shrub, with stubby stems arising from a woody rootstock; it bears large leaves compared to the size of the plant. The fruits are edible, with a...

01 / 07 / 2019 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Lannea discolor

Common names: dikbas (Afr.); live-long, tree grape (Eng.); morulamopsane, mokgôkgôthwane (Sepedi); muvhumbu (Venda)

Family: Anacardiaceae

...

12 / 11 / 2012 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG

Landolphia kirkii

Common names: sand apricot-vine, rubber vine (Eng.), sandrankappelkoos, melktou (Afr.), muvhungo, mukumululo (fruit) (Tshivenda), umbungwa, umkuzi (isiZulu)

Family: Apocynaceae

Named after its delicious fruit, the sand apricot-vine is a liane with many strong tendrils, glossy foliage, a branched inflorescence of small, scented,...

22 / 01 / 2024 | Nompumelelo Nkosi | Pretoria NBG

Lanaria lanata

Common names: Cape edelweiss (Eng.); kapokblom, perdekapok (Afr.)

Family: Lanariaceae

Lanaria lanata is packed full of surprises. With its grass-like leaves and white, woolly inflorescence, one would think that that would be all it has to...

27 / 07 / 2020 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG

Lampranthus tenuifolius

Common names: None

Family: Aizoaceae

Lampranthus tenuifolius is the ideal plant for the harsh conditions experienced on the Cape Flats. Its waterwise nature and beautiful flowers will provide...

25 / 03 / 2013 | James Deacon | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lampranthus tegens

Common names: mat-lampranthus (Eng.); matvygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

A flat-growing, mat-forming, leaf succulent, often rooting at the nodes, and an easy-to-grow, drought tolerant plant for fynbos gardens, especially on...

18 / 06 / 2018 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lampranthus roseus

Common names: rose vygie, roosvygie

Family: Aizoaceae

Commonly cultivated shrubby succulents, covered with brilliant pink flowers in spring...

30 / 10 / 2000 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG

Lampranthus hoerleinianus

Common names: purple vygie

Family: Aizoaceae

Lampranthus hoerleinianus, a tall mesemb with showy purple flowers, is found in northern Namaqualand, the Richtersveld and southern Namibia....

06 / 07 / 2009 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

Lampranthus haworthii

Common names: purple vygie, ice plant, mesemb

Family: Aizoaceae

This is a tall, robust plant by vygie standards, with large, metallic pink, white or light purple flowers....

18 / 08 / 2003 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG

Lampranthus bicolor

Common names: Bicoloured lampranthus (Eng.); bont vygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

This is a beautiful species; when in bud, it displays the orange-red on the reverse of the petals, and as it opens it reveals their bright yellow upper...

07 / 02 / 2011 | Olivia Tyambetyu | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership

Lampranthus aureus

Common names: golden vygie (Eng.), gouevygie (Afr.)

Family: Aizoaceae

One of the most colourful succulent plants is undoubtedly the beautiful bright orange Lampranthus aureus. It is one of the 'must-have' plants for...

21 / 07 / 2003 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG

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