Plants of the Week

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E.g., 01/12/2024
E.g., 01/12/2024

Dermatobotrys saundersii

Dermatobotrys saundersii
Common names: tree jockey
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Dermatobotrys saundersii is unusual in that it is an epiphytic shrublet, which grows in the forks of a variety of trees, and occasionally on the forest...

30 / 09 / 2002 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Acmadenia mundiana

Acmadenia mundiana
Common names: De Hoop porcelain flower (Eng.), De Hoop-boegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

This attractive shrub with grey-green foliage carries bright pink star-shaped flowers almost all year round but mainly in winter and spring....

30 / 09 / 2002 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pelargonium tomentosum

Pelargonium tomentosum
Common names: peppermint pelargonium, peppermint-scented pelargonium, pennyroyal pelargonium, piperitum (Eng.); pepermentmalva (Afr.)
Family: Geraniaceae

With its large, velvety, mint-scented foliage and dainty white flowers, Pelargonium tomentosum makes a rather attractive garden plant in semi-shade, and...

23 / 09 / 2002 | Ebrahim Lawrence | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Leucadendron macowanii

Leucadendron macowanii, male flowerheads.
Common names: acacia-leaf conebush, wattle-leaf conebush
Family: Proteaceae

This is a fast-growing shrub with narrow, dark green leaves, bright yellow flower heads in profusion on the male plants in winter, and dark red cones on...

16 / 09 / 2002 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kleinia fulgens

Kleinia fulgens
Common names: coral senecio
Family: Asteraceae

This is a stunning, grey-leafed plant with a profusion of scarlet flowers. It is ideal for hot, dry spots in the garden....

16 / 09 / 2002 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana

Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana
Common names: dwarf ox-tongue, lilliput gasteria (Eng.), klein-beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria bicolor var. liliputana is a rare, dwarf succulent perennial with leaves in a rosette. It is one of the smallest of the gasterias,...

09 / 09 / 2002 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Felicia josephinae

Family: Asteraceae

This charming, low-growing annual has only recently been named and described (Bothalia October 2002), although it was first collected in 1933 by C Louis...

02 / 09 / 2002 | John Manning | Compton Herbarium
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Tylecodon paniculatus

Tylecodon paniculatus
Common names: butter tree (Eng.); botterboom, baadtjies (Afrik.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Tylecodon paniculatus is a stocky, caudiciform, arborescent succulent that occurs over a wide area. ...

02 / 09 / 2002 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Erythrina lysistemon

Erythrina lysistemon in spring
Common names: common coral tree, lucky bean tree (E), gewone koraalboom, kanniedood (A), umsintsi (X), muvhale (V), mophete (Tsw), mokhungwane (Sotho), umsinsi (Z)
Family: Fabaceae

Erythrina lysistemon is a lovely, small to medium-sized, deciduous tree with a spreading crown and brilliant red flowers. It is a handsome tree at...

02 / 09 / 2002 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's Gold'

Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's gold'
Common names: Mandela's Gold strelitzia, yellow strelitzia, yellow crane flower, yellow bird of paradise, geelkraanvoel blom, geel piesang
Family: Strelitziaceae

Strelitzia reginae 'Mandela's Gold' is a rare yellow form of the well-known crane flower, Strelitzia reginae....

26 / 08 / 2002 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosanthemum speciosum

Drosanthemum speciosum
Common names: Worcester-Robertson vygie, Red ice-plant (Eng.), Bergvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Brilliant, vibrant, stunning, barely describe this vygie, which is one of the plants that makes the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden in Worcester...

26 / 08 / 2002 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Cyphostemma juttae

Leaves and berries
Common names: wild grape, tree grape, Namibian grape (Eng.); droog-my-keel (Afr.)
Family: Vitaceae

The tree grape is a slow-growing succulent with a huge swollen trunk (caudiciform).  ...

19 / 08 / 2002 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Arctotis arctotoides

Arctotis arctotoides
Common names: botterblom (Afrikaans), putswa-pududu (South Sotho), ubushwa (isiXhosa)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis arctotoides is a fast-growing, soft, herbaceous groundcover that forms carpets of light green foliage decorated with cheerful, butter-yellow daisy...

19 / 08 / 2002 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Restio festuciformis

Restio festuciformis
Common names: green grass-like restio (Eng.); groengrasriet (Afr.)
Family: Restionaceae

...

12 / 08 / 2002 | Hanneke Jamieson | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloidendron dichotomum

Aloidendron dichotomum
Common names: quiver tree (Eng.); kokerboom (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The quiver tree or Aloidendron dichotomum is probably the best known aloe found in South Africa and Namibia. Visitors to the Western Cape can see a ...

12 / 08 / 2002 | Werner Voigt | Karoo Desert NBG
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Streptocarpus kentaniensis

Streptocarpus kentaniensis
Common names: Kentani streptocarpus
Family: Gesneriaceae

...

05 / 08 / 2002 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Kniphofia species

Red-hot pokers are not always red!
Common names: red-hot poker or torch lily (English), vuurpyl (Afrikaans)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Red-hot pokers are grown in temperate gardens around the world. Ranging in colour from reds, oranges through yellow to lime green and cream, numerous cultivars...

05 / 08 / 2002 | Marc Stern | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Dorotheanthus bellidiformis

Common names: Buckbay-vygie, Livingstone Bokbayfig, Livingstone Daisy (Eng.); bokbaaivygie, sandvygie, skilpadkos, ysplant (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

 See Cleretum bellidiforme ...

29 / 07 / 2002 | | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Agathosma mucronulata

Agathosma mucronulata
Common names: prickly buchu (Eng.), stekelboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Agathosma mucronulata is an attractive evergreen aromatic shrub, belonging to the Rutaceae family. This family also includes the Cape chestnut, Calodendrum...

29 / 07 / 2002 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Jamesbrittenia grandiflora

Jamesbrittenia grandiflora
Common names: Wild phlox (= Sutera grandiflora)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Many people want to know what this stunning plant is when they first see it....

22 / 07 / 2002 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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