Plants of the Week

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

Schizocarphus nervosus

Schizocarphus nervosus. Image Geoff Nichols
Common names: white scilla, white wild squill (Eng.); sandlelie (Afr.); seboka (Sesotho); imbita-yebantwana, ndvwendvweni (siSwati); sabantwana, umagaqana, inkwitel
Family: Hyacinthaceae

...

20 / 07 / 2015 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Schizaea pectinata

Schizaea pectinata
Common names: curly grass-fern; cockscomb fern, toothbrush fern (Eng.); grasvaring (Afr.)
Family: Schizaeaceae

Is it a restio? Is it a sedge? No! It is Schizaea pectinata. When walking in the fynbos of the Western Cape of South Africa, one is likely to come across...

29 / 07 / 2019 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Schistostephium rotundifolium

Schistostephium rotundifolium
Common names: round-leaf flat-flower (Eng.); imadliwazimbuzi (Zul.)
Family: Asteraceae

A bushy shrub with decorative foliage and attractive yellow flowerheads in autumn to winter, suitable for sun or semi-shade....

21 / 05 / 2018 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Schefflera umbellifera

Schefflera umbellifera
Common names: false cabbage tree (Eng.); valskiepersol (Afr.); umsenge, umkisiso(Xhosa); umsenge, umgezisa, umbumbu, umbegele, umsengembuzi (Zulu); umsengambuti (Sw
Family: Araliaceae

This tree is an upright tree with a rounded crown suitable for a courtyard or gardens with limited space. It was selected as one of the South African Trees...

21 / 02 / 2005 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sceletium tortuosum

Sceletium tortuosum
Common names: kanna, tortuose fig marigold (Eng.); kanna, kougoed, tandtrekbos (Afr.); kanna (Khoi)
Family: Aizoaceae

Sceletium tortuosum is one of the oldest mesembs known to the western world. It became known to the early colonizers of the Cape in the 17th century and...

16 / 05 / 2005 | Pascale Chesselet | Compton Herbarium
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Scadoxus puniceus

Scadoxus puniceus
Common names: Paintbrush lily, Snake lily (E), Rooikwas (Afr), isisphompho, umgola (Z)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

The spectacular paintbrush lily is one of South Africa's most striking bulbous plants. This species is quite variable and a number of different forms...

08 / 10 / 2001 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. katharinae

Scadoxus multiflorus ssp. katharinae
Common names: fireball lily, blood flower, katharine wheel, poison root (Eng.); bloedblom, gifwortel (Afr.); inkupulwane (isiXhosa); idunjana, ubukhoswane (isiZulu)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This plant explodes into flower, producing huge orange-red flower balls in mid to late summer, it's a plant for semi-shade or shade in well-watered,...

26 / 02 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scadoxus membranaceus

Scadoxus membranaceus
Common names: dwarf paintbrush, (Eng.); seeroogblom (Afr.); idumbi (Zul.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This beautiful, compact growing, evergreen Scadoxus has spirally arranged leaves and striking red flowerheads that resemble a paint brush, surrounded by...

29 / 10 / 2018 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scabiosa incisa

Scabious incisa
Common names: coast scabious (Eng.), koringblommetjie (Afr.), isilawu esikhulu, iyeza lamehlo (Xhosa)
Family: Dipsacaceae

Scabiosa incisa with its large mauve or white flowers must be one of South Africa's prettiest indigenous perennials. Growing in small clumps, the flowerheads...

08 / 12 / 2003 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scabiosa genus

Scabiosa genus
Common names: scabious, scabiosa, pincushion
Family: Dipsacaceae

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25 / 12 / 2023 | Mulweli Maswoliedza | Compton Herbarium
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Scabiosa drakensbergensis

Scabiosa drakensbergensis
Common names: Drakensberg scabious, pincushion (Eng.); koringblom (Afr.)
Family: Dipsacaceae

A bushy scabiosa with large soft green leaves and beautiful, pure white, ball-like inflorescences with flowers packed tightly at the tips of long delicate...

23 / 01 / 2012 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Scabiosa columbaria

Scabiosa columbaria. Photo: Damien Coulson
Common names: wild scabious (Engl.); bitterbos (Afr.),tlhako- ea- pitsi, selomi, mamokhale, moholungoane (South Sotho); isilawu, esikhulu, makgha (isiXhosa); ibheka
Family: Dipsacaceae

This is a lovely wild flower species with faintly scented blooms, appearing throughout the year....

20 / 04 / 2015 | Azwinndini Mudau | Free State NBG
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Scabiosa africana

Scabiosa africana
Common names: Cape Scabious, Pincushion, Koringblom
Family: Dipsacaceae

Seeing Scabiosa africana on the mountain, the first thought is that it must have escaped from a garden nearby. With its big mauve flowers and soft leaves,...

04 / 12 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Satyrium rhodanthum

Satyrium rhodanthum. Photo Richard Braby
Common names: None recorded
Family: Orchidaceae

The Endangered Satyrium rhodanthum grows into a tapering, majestic beauty with flamboyant pink or red flowers....

21 / 09 / 2015 | Kaveesha Naicker | CREW
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Satyrium princeps

Part of flower stalk
Common names: red satyr orchid (Eng.); rooitrewwa (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

Satyrium princeps is a handsome but threatened terrestrial orchid from coastal sands in the southern part of the Western and Eastern Cape. Its long-lasting...

21 / 01 / 2013 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Satyrium coriifolium

Flowers
Common names: golden satyr orchid (Eng.); ewwa-trewwa, goue-trewwa, ouma-trewwa, rooi-trewwa (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

With its brightly coloured yellow or orange-red flowers, Satyrium coriifolium is one of the most attractive terrestrial orchids of the Cape Floristic...

29 / 08 / 2005 | H Kurzweil | Compton Herbarium
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Satyrium carneum

Satyrium carneum
Common names: pink satyr orchid (Eng.); rooikappie, rooi-trewwa, ewwa-trewwa (Afr.)
Family: Orchidaceae

Satyrium carneum, an endemic orchid in Western Cape from the Cape Peninsula to Riversdale, is becoming increasingly local and rare....

10 / 11 / 2003 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Sarcophyte sanguinea subsp. sanguinea

Sarcophyte sanguinea (Detlef Schnabel)
Common names: wolwekos (Afr.); ihlule, umavumbuka (isiZulu)
Family: Balanophoraceae

Sarcophyte sanguinea subsp. sanguinea is a parasitic plant that occurs on the roots of trees and shrubs, especially on African acacias (Vachellia species)....

25 / 09 / 2017 | Mduduzi Nkwanyana | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Sansevieria pearsonii

Sansevieria pearsonii
Common names: spiky mother-in-law’s-tongue, gemsbok horns, elephant’s toothpick (Eng.); bobbejaan-se-dood, gemsbokhoring (Afr.)
Family: Ruscaceae

Sansevieria pearsonii is a colony-forming, perennial succulent, with an upright fan of cylindrical leaves that end in a hard, sharp point. Easy to grow,...

03 / 10 / 2022 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Sansevieria hyacinthoides

Inflorescence
Common names: mother-in-law’s tongue, piles root, bowstring hemp (Eng.); skoonma-se-tong, aambeiwortel, haasoor (Afr.); kai, ghaiwortel (Khoi); isikholokotho (Xho
Family: Ruscaceae

The mother-in-law’s tongue is an evergreen, perennial herb, with its handsome robust, flat, dark green and fibrous leaves that attact game. Its scented...

19 / 01 / 2015 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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