Plants of the Week

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

Ornithogalum thyrsoides

Flowerhead
Common names: chincherinchee, wonder-flower, star-of-Bethlehem (Eng.), tjienkerientjee, tjienk, wit-tjienk, viooltjie (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Showy bulbous herb of vast horticultural importance because of its long lasting flowers suitable for use as cut flowers....

26 / 12 / 2005 | Yashica Singh | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Orphium frutescens

Orphium frutescens
Common names: sea-rose, sticky flower (Eng.), teringbos (Afr.)
Family: Gentianaceae

Flowering in the heat of summer the glossy pink stars of Orphium frutescens always attract attention, especially with the surrounding vegetation going...

01 / 01 / 2001 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ocimum labiatum

Ocimum labiatum
Common names: pink sage bush, shell bush (Eng.); pienksalie (Afr.)
Family: Lamiaceae

A  stunning drought-hardy ornamental shrub which thrives in full sun or partial shade, flowering prolifically from early summer to late autumn....

17 / 12 / 2001 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Oscularia caulescens

Oscularia caulescens flowers
Common names: dassievygie, sandsteenvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Oscularia caulescens is an easy-to-grow succulent groundcover, ideal as an accent plant in especially rockeries or pots and for low-maintenance and water-wise...

21 / 12 / 2009 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium
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Oscularia piquetbergensis

In flower
Common names: dassievygie, sandsteenygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Oscularia piquetbergensis, just like O. deltoides, is another easy-to-grow succulent groundcover for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens....

18 / 02 / 2008 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium
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Oscularia deltoides

Flowers and fruits of O.deltoides
Common names: dassievygie, sandsteenvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Oscularia deltoides is an easy-to-grow, succulent groundcover, ideal as an accent plant and for low-maintenance and water-wise gardens....

05 / 03 / 2007 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium
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Osmitopsis asteriscoides

Osmitopsis asteriscoides flowers
Common names: swamp daisy, mountain daisy, bellis (Eng.); bels, belskruie, belsbos, belsebos, belsbossie, belsebossie (Afr.).
Family: Asteraceae

This attractive white daisy has been in use for various medicinal purposes for hundreds of years. During spring and early summer many of the wetland areas...

01 / 11 / 2010 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Osmunda regalis

Young frond & unfurling crozier. Photo A Klopper
Common names: royal fern (Eng.); adelvaring (Afr.)
Family: Osmundaceae

Osmunda regalis is unusual in that it forms new fertile fronds in autumn, and not in spring or summer as is common in most ferns....

16 / 02 / 2004 | Ronell R. Klopper | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Osyris compressa

Common names: Cape sumach, coastal tannin bush ( Eng.); wildepruim, wurgbessie, basbessie, kuslooibas (Afr.); mtekaaza, umbalanythi (Xhosa); umbulanyathi (Zulu)
Family: Santalaceae

This plant is now called Colpoon compressum ...

29 / 05 / 2006 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Osyris lanceolata

Osyris lanceolata tree
Common names: rock tannin-bush, transvaal sumach (Eng.); bergbas, rotslooibas (Afr.); intshakasa, ingondotha-mpete (Zulu); umbulunyathi (Zulu/Xhosa); intekeza, utek
Family: Santalaceae

The evergreen, winter-flowering Osyris lanceolata is a blue-green hardy shrub or small tree. Its fleshy, yellowish green fruits become bright...

26 / 09 / 2011 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Othonna dentata

In flower
Common names: toothed othonna
Family: Asteraceae

This blue-grey succulent shrublet is ideally suited to coastal gardens and deserves to be more popular with gardeners....

14 / 10 / 2013 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna retrofracta

Seedheads
Common names: none known
Family: Asteraceae

Othonna retrofracta, with its bonsai-like appearance, is suitable for water-wise gardens in arid areas....

03 / 03 / 2014 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Oxalis

Oxalis zeekoevleyensis
Common names: sorrel (Eng.); suring (Afr.)
Family: Oxalidaceae

Members of the genus Oxalis — with their brightly coloured delicate flowers, clover-like leaves and corolla lobes twisted in the bud — are...

30 / 08 / 2004 | Elizabeth Retief | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Oxalis purpurea

Pink Oxalis purpurea
Common names: grand duchess sorrel (Eng.); suuring (Afr.)
Family: Oxalidaceae

A common but undervalued South African native plant, Oxalis purpurea can make a most magnificent garden plant that flowers for half the year....

21 / 12 / 2009 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ozoroa obovata var. elliptica

Ozoroa obovata tree
Common names: broad-leaved resin tree (Eng.); breë blaarharpuisboom (Afr.)
Family: Anacardiaceae

The broad-leaved resin tree is a semi-deciduous to evergreen shrub or tree that is suitable for small gardens....

05 / 09 / 2011 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Ozoroa paniculosa

Ozoroa paniculosa tree
Common names: common resin tree, bushveld ozoroa (Eng.): gewone harpuisboom (Afr.); isifice (Zulu); monoko (N. Sotho/Sepedi); mudumbula (Venda)
Family: Anacardiaceae

An attractive, small to medium-sized tree. Its leaves are bluish grey above and silvery below with strikingly straight, parallel side veins....

12 / 04 / 2010 | Terence Mabela | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Oldenburgia paradoxa

Oldenburgia paradoxa
Common names: cliff cushion bush (Eng.); klipkreupelbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Oldenburgia paradoxa is an unusual cushion-shaped species of the daisy family that grows on rocks in the Cape mountains and looks like an alpine plant....

08 / 09 / 2014 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Olea europaea subsp. africana

Fruits of Olea europaea subsp, africana
Common names: wild olive, olienhout (Afr.), mohlware (NSotho, SSotho), umnquma (Zulu, Xhosa, Swati), mutlhwari (Venda), motlhware (Tswana)
Family: Oleaceae

...

18 / 11 / 2002 | Pitta Joffe | Pretoria NBG
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Ozoroa sphaerocarpa

Tree growing in habitat
Common names: currant resin tree (Eng.); korenteharpuisboom (Afr.); imfuce lemnyamma (IsiSwati); monoko (Sepedi)
Family: Anacardiaceae

This relatively small tree has small whitish flowers, with the sexes occurring on separate plants.  It is highly valued by rural communities because...

08 / 12 / 2014 | Mahlatse Mogale | TSP
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Otholobium virgatum

Plant in flower
Common names: carpet pea, mat otholobium, eight-day-healing bush (Eng.); agtdaegeneesbossie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a mat-forming and low-growing, trailing, ground cover with masses of mauve-pink, pea-like flowers in spring....

24 / 11 / 2014 | Zoleka Maphanga | Kirstenbosch NBG
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