Plants of the Week

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E.g., 08/10/2024
E.g., 08/10/2024

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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Hoodia gordonii

Hoodia gordonii
Common names: bitter ghaap (Eng.); bitterghaap, muishondghaap, wolweghaap, bobbejaanghaap, bergghaap, bokhorings (Afr.); khobab (Khoi)
Family: Apocynaceae

Hoodia gordonii is one of the most sought after succulents due to its medicinal properties. It has been called one of the wonder plants of the twenty-first...

18 / 07 / 2005 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Eragrostis superba

Spikelets
Common names: saw-tooth love grass, flat-seed love grass (Eng.); bosluissaadgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

  The large, flat, attractive spikelets on inflorescences that occur well above the basal tuft of leaves make this one of the easiest Eragrostis...

18 / 07 / 2005 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pogonarthria squarrosa

Herringbone grass
Common names: herringbone grass, sickle grass
Family: Poaceae

Pogonarthria squarrosa is a loosely tufted grass with interesting, reddish-brown inflorescences which have led to its common name, herringbone...

11 / 07 / 2005 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Hoslundia opposita

Hoslundia opposita
Common names: orange bird berry, bird gooseberry (Eng.); Uyaweyawe (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

This hardy garden plant bears brightly coloured, tasty edible fruits and is an excellent subject for container gardening, which is a useful way to make...

11 / 07 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Aloe mitriformis

Aloe mitriformis
Common names: mitre aloe (Eng.); krans aalwyn (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

There are not many aloes from the Cape that flower during summer, hence those that do are more sought after. Those of you who love gardening with bright...

11 / 07 / 2005 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Becium obovatum

See Ocimum obovatum...

04 / 07 / 2005 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Freylinia densiflora

Freylinia densiflora
Common names: Langeberg bell-bush, common bell-bush (Eng.); Langebergseklokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Blue-green foliage and subtly coloured flowers are attractive features of this widespread bell-bush....

04 / 07 / 2005 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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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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Ocimum obovatum

Ocimum obovatum
Common names: cat's whiskers ( Eng. ); katsnor (Afr.); Idada, Iziba, Ufukuzela, Umathanjane (Zulu)
Family: Lamiaceae

Erect and sometimes spreading, low-growing perennial herb, this plant is an excellent link between lawn and a shrubby border. It is a good candidate for...

04 / 07 / 2005 | T Mukoma | Lowveld NBG
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Wurmbea stricta

Wurmbea stricta
Common names: vleiblommetjie (Afr.)
Family: Colchicaceae

Scantily known in cultivation, the starry pink-and-white flowers of this easily grown cormous plant really deserve a place in containers, shallow garden...

27 / 06 / 2005 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ochna pulchra

Common names: peeling plane, peeling-bark ochna (Eng.); lekkerbreek (Afr.); monyelewyele (Tswana); monamane, mopha (Northern Sotho); musuma, murambo, tshithothonya
Family: Ochnaceae

This species is better known by its Afrikaans name, lekkerbreek. This is most probably one of South Africa 's most beautiful trees, but also one of...

27 / 06 / 2005 | K Behr | Pretoria 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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Faidherbia albida

Flowers and leaves
Common names: ana tree (Eng.); anaboom (Afr.); mogabo (Sepedi); mokosho (Setswana); umHlalankwazi (IsiZulu); muhoto (Venda)
Family: Fabaceae

This relatively drought-resistant tree makes an interesting specimen if planted in a park. It can survive occasional frost (up to 5 days per year)....

20 / 06 / 2005 | Joseph Aobakwe Difoloko | Pretoria NBG
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Cassine peragua

Colourful berries of Cassine peragua
Common names: Cape saffron, bastard saffron, false saffron, bastard saffronwood (Eng.); bastersaffraan, lepelhout (Afr.); iKhukhuzi (Xhosa); umKhukhuze, umBofanyamo
Family: Celastraceae

Cassine peragua is a medium-sized tree suitable for suburban gardens, with fragrant flowers and decorative, bird-attracting fruits, but its most attractive...

20 / 06 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Acridocarpus natalitus

Flowers
Common names: moth-fruit, the binder (Eng.); motvrug (Afr.); umabophe, umabophawentaba, umabopha and ihlalanyosi (isiZulu)
Family: Malpighiaceae

Its beautiful flowers and fruit make this evergreen shrub or small tree an appealing garden subject which should be in most gardens in the warmer and coastal...

20 / 06 / 2005 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Morella cordifolia

Male bush in bud
Common names: wax berry, candle berry (Eng.); wasbessie, wasbessiebos, wasbossie, glashout (Afr.); ilethi (Zulu)
Family: Myricaceae

The wax berry is an interesting addition to the garden, ideal for coastal and/or sandy gardens, and if you like plants with a long history of use to mankind...

13 / 06 / 2005 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Gardenia cornuta

Flowers and fruit
Common names: Tonga gardenia, Natal gardenia, horned gardenia (Eng.); wilde-appel, Tongakatjiepiering, Natalkatjiepiering (Afr.); umhlahle, unomphumela, umvalasangw
Family: Rubiaceae

The spectacular, large white and yellow flowers with their sweet scent, attracts passersby from a distance to this small, much-branched tree. The smooth,...

13 / 06 / 2005 | Mkhipheni Ngwenya | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Senegalia polyacantha subsp. campylacantha

Leaves and seedpods
Common names: white-stem thorn (Eng.); witdoring (Afr.); mooka, mpho-kamagwa (Northern Sotho); xigatlu, nkowankowa (Tswana)?; tshikwalo (Venda); umnga (Xhosa)
Family: Fabaceae

This is one of the most attractive acacias in Africa. It often has one stem with branching commencing fairly high up, and a neat flattish crown. It has...

13 / 06 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Mimusops zeyheri

Fruits
Common names: Transvaal red milkwood (Eng.); moepel (Afr.); mmupudu (Northern Sotho); umpushane (Zulu); nhlantswa (Tsonga); mubululu (Venda)
Family: Sapotaceae

The Transvaal red milkwood has gained its popularity with people, birds as well as monkeys and baboons through its tasty fruit which are sweet and high...

06 / 06 / 2005 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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