Plants of the Week

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

Myrothamnus flabellifolius

Leaves. Image A dreyer
Common names: resurrection plant (Eng.); opstandingsplant (Afr.); uvukakwabafile (isiZulu); umazifisi (Ndebele)
Family: Myrothamnaceae

The leaves of the resurrection plant shrink and appear to be dead in the dry season, but miraculously turn green within a few minutes after exposure to...

18 / 11 / 2013 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Myrsine africana

Berries of M africana
Common names: Cape myrtle, African boxwood (Eng.); vlieëbos, mirting (Afr.); moroko-pheleu, semapo, sethakhisa, thakisa (Southern Sotho)?
Family: Myrsinaceae

This small shrub found in the wild from the Cape through tropical Africa to Asia, is a tough plant with attractive foliage and fruit, attracts birds and...

18 / 07 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mystacidium capense

Mystacidium capense
Common names: iphamba (Zulu)
Family: Orchidaceae

This delicate epiphytic orchid, a mini plant with maxi roots is covered in a mass of white flowers at the beginning of summer....

02 / 12 / 2002 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Mystroxylon aethiopicum: Photo: Geoff Nichols
Common names: kooboo-berry, spoonwood (Eng.); koeboebessie, lepelboom, lepelhout (Afr.); umbomvane, umgxube, umnqayi (Xhosa); monamane (Northern Sotho); mukwatikwat
Family: Celastraceae

Mystroxylon aethiopicum is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree, planted as a hedge, in groups or solitary and...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Merwilla plumbea

Merwilla plumbea
Common names: wild squill, blue squill, blue hyacinth, blouberglelie, blouslangkop, inguduza
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Merwilla plumbea is a graceful perennial bulb, and with its tall plumes of blue flowers, the showiest of the South African scillas. Merwilla plumbea is...

22 / 10 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mesembryanthemum varians

Plant in flower
Common names: salt mesemb, skeleton plant (English); soutvygie (Afrikaans)
Family: Aizoaceae

Mesembryanthemum varians was previously known as Sceletium varians. It is known to have few medicinal properties —  unlike Mesembryathemum...

14 / 07 / 2014 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Monsonia glauca

Monsonia glauca
Common names: dysentery herb (Eng.); naaldebossie, keitabossie, keitabossie (Afr.).
Family: Geraniaceae

This is a perennial herb with a woody base growing in scrubby grassland....

29 / 09 / 2014 | T.T. Masupa | Pretoria NBG
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Moraea polystachya

Moraea polystachya
Common names: bloutulp, kraai-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Pretty but dangerous (to live-stock, that is)! In a good year, usually in autumn, the large, deep blue to violet or occasionally white, iris-like flowers...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Clare Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Maurocenia frangula

Tree in flower
Common names: bittersweet-cherry, Hottentot's cherry, vulture berry, nastergalkersie, hottentotskersie, aasvoelbessie (Afr.)
Family: Celastraceae

Maurocenia frangula provides interest throughout the year; with its scarlet, new growth in winter, bright cerise edible berries in autumn, and its decorative,...

17 / 11 / 2014 | Melissa Van der Burg | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Metalasia aurea

Metalasia aurea flowers. Photo Adriaan Grobler
Common names: golden metalasia, yellow metalasia (Eng.); geelsteekbossie, geelblombos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Metalasia aurea has the most unusual flower colour for Metalasia, and may be seen when travelling along the N2 freeway from Humansdorp to Port Elizabeth....

23 / 03 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mimetes cucullatus

Mimetes cucullatus
Common names: common mimetes, common pagoda, red mimetes, red pagoda ( Eng. ); rooistompie, stompie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Mimetes cucullatus is eye-catching, unusual and colourful all year round, and it is among the easiest members of the protea family to grow....

20 / 02 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mimetes argenteus

Mimetes argenteus
Common names: silver pagoda, silver-leaved bottle brush,(Eng.); vaal-stompie, luisbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

‘I once saw two men, veritable rough diamonds, who probably had never noticed a flower before, stop in their tracks before a vase full of these flowers....

18 / 05 / 2015 | Megan Blatchford | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Metrosideros angustifolia

Metrosideros angustifolia flowers
Common names: Cape-gum, lance-leaved ironheart (Eng.); smalblad, smalblaar (Afr.)
Family: Myrtaceae

At first glance this plant creates an alert reaction in the keen Fynbos enthusiast, as it bears a resemblance to  some South African weeds. However,...

28 / 09 / 2015 | Megan Blatchford | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Marsilea schelpeana

Marsilea schelpeana
Common names: water clover
Family: Marsileaceae

Marsilea schelpeana is an aquatic plant with a creeping stem, bearing stalked, floating leaves. It is found in areas that become marshy after rain, but...

25 / 04 / 2016 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Manochlamys albicans

Manochlamys albicans
Common names: spanspek soap bush (Eng.); spanspekbos, bobbejaanseep, seepbos, spekbos, hondebossie (Afr.)
Family: Amaranthaceae

Manochlamys albicans is a fast-growing shrub that has a striking appearance and great potential to rehabilitate saline soils....

02 / 05 / 2016 | Vuyelwa Ndevu | Karoo Desert NBG
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Mimetes capitulatus

Mimetes capitulatus (Robbie Thomas)
Common names: conical pagoda (Eng.); skraalstompie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

This striking plant is a lesser-known gem, whose brightly coloured, red and orange flowerheads, appear in spring time, attracting the sunbirds. Populations...

12 / 09 / 2016 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Moraea insolens

Moraea insolens
Common names: Overberg red-moraea (Eng.); Overbergse rooi-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Moraea insolens is a critically endangered, cormous plant, with dazzling orange-red or rarely white- or cream-coloured, salver-shaped blooms, with prominent,...

14 / 11 / 2016 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Macaranga capensis

Macaranga capensis in flower (Geoff Nichols).
Common names: river macaranga, false-poplar, spiny macaranga, wild-poplar (Eng.); riviermakaranga, valspopulier, wildepopulier (Afr.); umbengele, umphumelezi, umphu
Family: Euphorbiaceae

A perfect feature plant for a tropical garden, Macaranga capensis is also used medicinally for various ailments, and it attracts bees and birds to the...

27 / 03 / 2017 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Macowania revoluta

Macowania revoluta (Nicola Bergh)
Common names: Amathole macowania
Family: Asteraceae

Macowania revoluta is the particular species to which the defining features of the genus Macowania is formally attached. This easily distinguished shrub...

01 / 05 / 2017 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Melianthus villosus

Melianthus villosus
Common names: maroon honey flower, Drakensberg honey flower (Eng.); Drakensbergse kruidjie-roer-my-nie (Afr.); ibhonya (Zulu)
Family: Melianthaceae

A multi-stemmed, soft, evergreen shrub, with showy, serrated leaves that provide a beautiful tropical effect in the garden....

05 / 06 / 2017 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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