Plants of the Week

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E.g., 05/12/2024
E.g., 05/12/2024

Amphithalea tomentosa

Amphithalea tomentosa, inflorescence
Common names: hairy amphithalea
Family: Fabaceae

Ampithalea tomentosa is a striking plant found in Lowland Fynbos, with eye-catching, silvery foliage and yellow blossoms almost hidden by the hairy calyx,...

18 / 12 / 2023 | Naomi Mdayi | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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Anthospermum spathulatum subsp. spathulatum

Anthospermum spathulatum
Common names: spoon flowerseed, spathulate anthospermum, jackal's tail (Eng.), jakkalsstert, skaapbos (Afr.)
Family: Rubiaceae

A dense, woody shrublet with small, needle-like leaves densely covering the stems to form an interesting arrangement of foliaged branches....

08 / 01 / 2024 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
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Athanasia trifurcata

Athanasia trifurcata
Common names: trifid-leaf athanasia, coulter bush, klaas louw bush, three-tooth athanasia (Eng.), kouterbos, klaaslouwbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A fast-growing shrub with grey 3-forked leaves, displaying showy clusters of beautiful yellow flower heads in early summer, well suited for fynbos, renosterveld,...

11 / 03 / 2024 | Maria van der Westhuizen | Karoo Desert NBG
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Albuca bracteata

Albuca bracteata
Common names: pregnant onion, false sea onion, sea-onion (Eng.); witui (Afr.); umababaza (isiZulu); masxabana (isiXhosa)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

A clump-forming bulbous geophyte with green and white flowers on tall stems during summer, the common name pregnant onion is derived from the onion-like...

11 / 03 / 2024 | Mlondi Sikhosana | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Aloe chabaudii

Aloe chabaudii
Common names: Chabaud’s aloe, grey aloe, Dwala aloe (Eng.); grysaalwyn (Afr.); inhlaba (siSwati, isiZulu); inkalane (isiZulu); mangani (Tswana;) tshikhopha (Venda
Family: Asphodelaceae

Grey aloe is a water-wise garden plant which can be planted in a rockery garden and flower beds to add colour during the winter season. It is a stemless...

18 / 03 / 2024 | Itumeleng Machete | Pretoria NBG
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Acacia sekhukhuniensis

Common names: Sekhukhune Thorn
Family: Fabaceae

This plant is now called Vachellia sekhukhuniensis...

22 / 03 / 2024 | | Pretoria NBG
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Adromischus leucophyllus

Adromischus leucophyllus
Common names: flour-stonecrop, white-leaf adromischus (Eng.); witblaarplakkie, meel-boekplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

The flour-stonecrop is a dwarf, cluster-forming to pendent leaf succulent from the mountainous regions between Barrydale, Montagu, Robertson and De Doorns...

06 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adromischus subdistichus

Adromischus subdistichus
Common names: book-stonecrop (Eng.), boekieplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

The book-stonecrop is a dwarf, mat-forming to pendent, leaf succulent from the mountainous regions near Willowmore in Eastern Cape. The rounded flattened...

13 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Adromischus schuldtianus subsp. brandbergensis

Adromischus schuldtianus subsp. brandbergensis
Common names: Brandberg adromischus (Eng.), Brandbergnenta (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus schuldtianus subsp. brandbergensis is a rare, cliff-hugging succulent from the Brandberg in central northern Namibia, it represents the northernmost...

20 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe hahnii

Aloe hahnii in flower in habitat
Common names: Soutpansberg aloe, Soutpansberg soap aloe (Eng.); Soutpansberg-bontaalwyn (Afr.); tshikhopha-tshituku (Ven.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe hahnii is a small, slow-growing, single-stemmed aloe, with a short stem, succulent leaves and red, white and green flowers. It occurs in the mistbelt...

27 / 05 / 2024 | Thembuluwo Maduwa | Thohoyandou NBG
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Adromischus diabolicus

Adromischus diabolicus
Common names: Gariep adromischus (Eng.), Gariepnenta (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Adromischus diabolicus is a rare, cliff-hugging succulent from the Northern Cape. The plants are dwarf, rosulate, leaf and stem succulents forming small...

27 / 05 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe globuligemma

Aloe globuligemma
Common names: knob aloe, button aloe (Eng.), knoppiesaalwyn (Afr.), lekopane (Sepedi (seKone dialect))
Family: Asphodelaceae

...

03 / 06 / 2024 | Nondumiso Qwabe | National Zoological Gardens
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Alepidea genus

Alepidea amatymbica
Common names: alepidea, tinsel flower (Eng.); kalmoes (Afr.); ikhathazo (isiZulu); iqwili (isiXhosa); lesoko (South Sotho); inkatsankatsa (Swazi)
Family: Apiaceae

Alepidea is one of only two African-endemic genera within the Saniculeae tribe of the Apiaceae, the other being its sister genus Arctopus. Southern Africa...

22 / 07 / 2024 | Lungisani Zondi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Agathosma dielsiana

Agathosma dielsiana flowers are visited by bees
Common names: Diels buchu (Eng.); Diels-boegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

...

05 / 08 / 2024 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aristea grandis

Aristea grandis
Common names: large blue-stars, giant blue-eyed grass (Eng.)
Family: Iridaceae

A beautiful, robust, grass-like plant with striking deep blue flowers that grow in clusters up tall stems, and broad, pale green leaves. It is a member...

09 / 09 / 2024 | Sefularo Ramaboea | National Zoological Gardens
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Aloe suprafoliata

Aloe suprafoliata, leaves stacked on top of each other like pages of an open book.
Common names: book aloe, book-leaved aloe (Eng.), boekaalwyn (Afr.), icena, umhlabandlazi (isiZulu)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe suprafoliata has a distinctive growth habit that changes as it matures, with the young emerging leaves curving out sideways, stacked directly on top...

30 / 09 / 2024 | Keitumetse Lenong | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Anacampseros filamentosa subsp. filamentosa

Anacampseros filamentosa subsp. filamentosa
Common names: thready anacampseros, hare's food, rabbit's food, rabbit's foot (Eng); boesmansuring, haaskos, hasieskos, kleinhaaskos, kleinhasieskos, haasballetjies
Family: Anacampserotaceae

Anacampseros filamentosa subsp. filamentosa is a distinctive and striking dwarf succulent , easily recognized by its dense covering of fine hairs. This...

21 / 10 / 2024 | Lungelo L. Sikhakhane | Free State NBG
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Aloestrela suzannae

Aloestrela suzannae in the Pretoria NBG
Common names: Malagasy tree aloe, Suzanna’s aloe (Eng.); vaho, vahona, vahondrano (Malagasy)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloestrela suzannae, is a rare and attractive species from Madagascar, that fascinates botanists and plant enthusiasts alike with its striking foliage,...

04 / 11 / 2024 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Aristea torulosa

Aristea torulosa
Common names: Wood’s aristea (Eng.); blousuurkanol (Afr.); khahla, lethepu-le-lenyenyane (Sesotho,); umluzi omncane (isiZulu); phayimashimane (siSwati)
Family: Iridaceae

A lovely, vibrant species of Aristea with striking, star-like, blue flowers that appear prolifically in summer....

25 / 11 / 2024 | Ofentse Naanyane | Free State NBG
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Aloe ecklonis

Aloe ecklonis
Common names: Ecklon’s aloe, grass aloe (Eng.), Ecklonse-aalwyn, vlei-aalwyn, grasaalwyn (Afr.), hloho-tsa-makaka, lekxalana, maroba lihale (Sesotho), isiphukuthw
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe ecklonis is a tough and beautiful succulent, that boasts striking rosettes of broad leaves and vibrant orange, yellow or salmon-pink flowers in summer,...

25 / 11 / 2024 | Lesego Maunatlala | Pretoria NBG
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