Plants of the Week

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E.g., 04/12/2024
E.g., 04/12/2024

Dicoma anomala

Common names: fever bush, stomach bush (Eng.); maagbitterwortel, kalwerbossie, koorsbossie, gryshout, maagbossie (Afr.); hloenya, mohlasetse (South Sotho); inyongan
Family: Asteraceae

Dicoma anomala is a highly variable plant characterized by its stiff, sharp-pointed bracts, large flower heads and mauve-white florets surrounded by many...

26 / 02 / 2007 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Didymaotus lapidiformis

Image of D. lapidiformis in habitat
Common names: stone plant (Eng.); beeskloutjie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

 Didymaotus lapidiformis is a fascinating chunky succulent that looks like a lithops on steroids! It grows in the arid winter rainfall regions of...

04 / 08 / 2008 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Dierama pendulum

Dierama pendulum
Common names: fairy bell, hair-bell, wedding bell (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

Admired for its graceful, wand-like stems, eye-catching pink flowers and erect, long, linear leaves, this easily cultivated plant is one of the most rewarding...

31 / 10 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dierama reynoldsii

Dierama reynoldsii
Common names: This species does not appear to have a common name of its own, but the genus Dierama is known as hairbells, fairybells, wandflowers; grasklokkies (Afr
Family: Iridaceae

Just imagine the impact of a 'bulb' with flowers the colour of red wine (a young Shiraz , in particular), arising from bracts like the silver stem...

27 / 06 / 2005 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Dietes bicolor

Dietes bicolor in the foreground
Common names: yellow wild iris, peacock flower (Eng.); uintjie, poublom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

With its unusual flowers, attractive shape and ease of cultivation, the yellow wild iris is a versatile garden plant....

17 / 06 / 2002 | Marc Stern | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Dietes grandiflora

Dietes grandiflora
Common names: large wild iris, fairy iris (Eng.); groot wilde-iris (Afr); isiqungasehlati (Z)
Family: Iridaceae

This well known indigenous iris is commonly grown in gardens and used in large landscapes throughout the country....

21 / 01 / 2002 | Sharon Turner | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Dietes iridioides

Dietes iridioides flower and fruit
Common names: wild iris, wood iris (Eng.); wilde-iris (Afr.); indawo-yehlathi, isiqiki-sikatokoloshe, isishuphe somfula (isiZulu)
Family: Iridaceae

Dietes iridioides is not common in residential gardens and landscapes, yet it is considered a good garden subject....

03 / 12 / 2007 | Cosmos Radebe | Pretoria NBG
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Dimorphotheca cuneata

Dimorphotheca cuneata white variety
Common names: rain flower, white bietou, Karoo bietou (Eng.); reënblom, witbietou, karoobietou (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca cuneata is a hardy, mainly winter-rainfall perennial producing masses of showy, white flowers in early spring....

01 / 03 / 2010 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Dimorphotheca ecklonis

In flower
Common names: Cape marguerite, Van Staden's River daisy, Sundays River daisy, white daisy bush, blue-and-white daisy bush (Eng.); Kaapse magriet, jakkalsbos, Vansta
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca ecklonis has beautiful, white ray florets and a dark blue centre (disc florets). A collection of these plants in full bloom certainly...

28 / 03 / 2005 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dimorphotheca jucunda

Striking purple flowers
Common names: trailing pink daisy, trailing mauve daisy (Eng.); bergbietou, bloubietou (Afr.); umasigcolo nkonekazi, u-Mesigcolo-nkonekazi (Zulu) (= Osteospermum ju
Family: Asteraceae

A mass of Dimorphotheca jucunda plants with their striking purple 'flowers' could create an illusion of a deep, dark pool with many hidden...

04 / 07 / 2005 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dimorphotheca sinuata

Dimorphotheca sinuata
Common names: Namaqualand daisy, African daisy (Eng.); gousblom, jakkalsblom, botterblom, namakwalandse madeliefie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This showy annual creates sheets of brilliant orange when it flowers in Namaqualand in early spring, drawing visitors from near and far. This particularly...

08 / 07 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dimorphotheca pluvialis

Spring annuals at Kirstenbosch
Common names: rain daisy, Cape daisy, white Namaqualand Daisy, ox-eye daisy (Eng.); reënblommetjie, witbotterblom, witmargriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dimorphotheca pluvialis is always one of the first spring annuals to flower at Kirstenbosch....

21 / 08 / 2000 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dioscorea brownii

Dioscorea brownii, male plant
Common names: none
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea brownii, a little known, unusual and rare member of the yam family is found only in southern KwaZulu-Natal. It is unique amongst the dioscoreas...

04 / 05 / 2009 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Dioscorea dregeana

Trifoliate leaves. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: wild yam (Eng.); wildejam (Afr.); ingcolo (Xhoza); isidakwa (Zulu)
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea dregeana is a perennial, twining, herbaceous creeper, up to 15 m long....

03 / 06 / 2013 | M Mashiane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dioscorea strydomiana

Dioscorea strydomiana (Mervyn Lotter)
Common names: Ebutsini wild yam, Strydom's wild yam
Family: Dioscoreaceae

In a recent international publication the South African wild yam Dioscorea strydomiana was included among the world's 100 most threatened species....

18 / 03 / 2013 | Lize Von Staden | TSP
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Dioscorea elephantipes

Caudex showing interesting bark
Common names: turtle back, elephant's foot, Hottentots' bread
Family: Dioscoreaceae

Dioscorea elephantipes is one of the most beautiful, weird and wonderful, caudiciform plants around! It has a deeply fissured surface, resembling...

25 / 04 / 2005 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Diosma hirsuta 'Blue Downs'

Diosma hirsuta 'Blue Downs'
Common names: wild buchu (Eng.); rooiboegoe, wildeboegoe, Hottentotsboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Diosma hirusta ' Blue Downs' belongs to the Rutaceae family commonly referred to as the citrus family and is easily identified by the presence...

21 / 11 / 2005 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diosma oppositifolia

Flowers
Common names: bitter buchu (Eng.); bitterboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Diosma oppositifolia is an aromatic shrub with attractive foliage and a long flowering season; it is a useful filler shrub for fynbos and water-wise...

21 / 01 / 2008 | Justin Wigget | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diosma prama

Diosma prama
Common names: Little Karoo bitter-buchu
Family: Rutaceae

Take a closer look at Diosma prama with masses of tiny creamy white flowers covering the entire bush during its winter flowering season. It creates a...

11 / 04 / 2005 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diospyros austro-africana

Dispyros austro-africana tree
Common names: fire-sticks, star-apple (Eng.); kritikom, jakkalsbos, vuurmaakbossie, kraaibessie (Afr.); liperekisi-tsa-makhoaba, senokonoko (South Sotho), umbhongis
Family: Ebenaceae

Diospyros austro-africana is a beautiful indigenous shrub or small tree that bears little cream, pink and even red lantern-like flowers. Not only attractive...

03 / 11 / 2008 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG
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