Plants of the Week

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E.g., 13/12/2024
E.g., 13/12/2024

Curio pondoensis

Curio pondoensis
Common names: Pondo cliff daisy (Eng.); Pondo krans-aster (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

The Pondo cliff daisy is a cliff-hanger, leaf and stem succulent, endemic to the river valleys of northern Pondoland, in the Eastern Cape. The attractive,...

24 / 08 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio muirii

Close-up of the leaves of Curio muirii
Common names: cliff curio (Eng.); kransharpuis (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Curio muirii is a trailing to pendent cliff hanger from the Gouritz River and its tributaries. The succulent leaves are bluish green, often crowded towards...

08 / 07 / 2024 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio ficoides

Curio ficoides
Common names: blue chalkstick, flat-leaved senecio (Eng.); blouharpuis (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A conspicuous, spreading, succulent shrub, with striking, large, bluish grey-green, elongated, flattish, succulent leaves, with a resinous smell when damaged....

11 / 11 / 2019 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio crassulifolius

Small, discoid flowerheads in late winter, spring and early summer
Common names: blue fingers (Eng.); blouvingertjies (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A low-growing, mat-forming groundcover with upward-pointing cylindrical, bluish grey-green, succulent leaves that provides unusual foliage colour, texture...

27 / 06 / 2016 | Nomama Mei | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Curio articulatus

Common names: sausage plant, candle plant, hot dog plant (Eng.); worsies, worsiesplantjie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

This plant is now called Baculellum articulatum ...

30 / 09 / 2024 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cunonia capensis

Cunonia capensis
Common names: red alder, butterspoon tree (English); rooiels (Afrikaans); umqwashube (Xhosa); umlulama (Zulu)
Family: Cunoniaceae

Cunonia capensis is a beautiful evergreen garden tree which attracts insects to its flowers....

05 / 03 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Cucumis metuliferus

Cucumis metuliferus fruit
Common names: African horned cucumber, jelly melon, kiwano (Eng.); rooi-agurkie, rooikomkommer (Afr.); mokapana (Tswana)
Family: Cucurbitaceae

This African climber is cultivated in various parts of the world for its showy, edible fruits....

10 / 08 / 2009 | M Welman | Pretoria NBG
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Cucumis africanus

Fruits
Common names: wild cucumber, wild gherkin (Eng.); wilde agurkie, doringkomkommertjie (Afr.); monyaku (Pedi); mthangazana (Xhosa); isende-lenja, uselwa-lwemamba (Zul
Family: Cucurbitaceae

The fruits of this species, looking like small, prickly and striped cucumbers, were pickled and preserved in old Cape kitchens....

14 / 03 / 2005 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Cryptostephanus

Cryptostephanus vansonii
Common names: none known
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cryptostephanus is a curious, little-known genus comprising three species from Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. It is most closely...

29 / 06 / 2015 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cryptocarya wyliei

Cryptocarya wyliei. Image © G. Nichols
Common names: red quince; red-haired laurel (Eng.); rooikweper (Afr.); umNgcabe (Zulu); umNqayane (Zulu, Xhosa)
Family: Lauraceae

Cryptocarya wyliei is a beautiful ornamental tree, easily grown from seed, with bright red edible fruit scattered among the tiny green leaves....

15 / 10 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Cryptocarya woodii

Leaves and green fruits
Common names: Cape laurel, Cape Quince, bastard camphor tree (E): rooikweper,Kaapse kweper (A); isithungwa, inqayana, ixobothi (Xhosa) umngcabe, umnqayane, isililan
Family: Lauraceae

This is a handsome tree for small gardens with a lovely shape when properly pruned. The shiny, purple-black fleshy fruits are showy and complemented by...

19 / 12 / 2005 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Croton sylvaticus

Croton sylvaticus tree. Photo G. Nichols
Common names: forest fever-berry, woodland croton (Eng.); boskoorsbessie (Afr.), umFeze, uMagwaqane (Xhosa); umHloshazane, uGebeleweni, umZilanyoni, inDumbahlozi (Z
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Croton sylvaticus is a beautiful, spreading, leafy tree, up to 21 m, high sometimes less, usually with a tall, straight trunk up to 1 m in diameter....

25 / 08 / 2008 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG
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Croton pseudopulchellus

Flowers and leaves
Common names: small lavender fever-berry (Eng.); kleinlaventelkoorsbessie, sandkoorsbessie (Afr.); uHubeshane (isiZulu)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

A pale white/yellow-flowered, shrubby, perennial plant with a sweet smell that attracts many insects....

24 / 09 / 2012 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal Herbarium
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Croton megalobotrys

Croton megalobotrys (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: feverberry, large feverberry (Eng.); koorsbessie, grootkoorsbessie (Afr.); motsibi (Northern Sotho), muruthu (Tshivenda)
Family: Euphorbiaceae

This tree will add colour to your garden in autumn as the leaves produces shades of yellow, orange and brown; flowering time is throughout spring and as...

17 / 12 / 2018 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Croton gratissimus

Croton gratissimus ( Image copyright Geoff Nichols)
Common names: bergboegoe, ilabele, inkubathi, isikhumampuphu, korannaboegoe, lavender croton, lavender fever berry, laventelbos, laventelkoorsbessie, maloga
Family: Euphorbiaceae

This is an attractive and versatile deciduous shrub or small tree in the home garden, but capable of becoming a large tree in certain instances....

19 / 12 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Crotalaria natalitia var. natalitia

Crotalaria natalitia var. natalitia flowers
Common names: pioneer rattlepod (Eng.); usi, uvelabahleke (isiZulu)
Family: Fabaceae

The pioneer rattlepod is a shrubby yellow-flowered plant with a scent attractive to honeybees....

06 / 08 / 2012 | Sifiso Mnxati | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Crotalaria magaliesbergensis

Crotalaria magaliesbergensis
Common names: Magaliesberg rattlepod (Eng.); magaliesberg jaagsiektebossie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Crotalaria magaliesbergensis is small shrub that sprouts annually from a woody rootstock, to produce many, fragrant, yellow flowers. It will be a great...

10 / 12 / 2018 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crotalaria capensis

Flowers. Photo copyright Geoff Nichols
Common names: Cape rattle-pod, Cape laburnum (Eng.); Kaapse klapperpeul (Afr.); bukheshezane (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Clusters of large golden yellow flowers and seedpod bunches that rattle with dry seeds make this quick-growing shrub a delight in any garden....

05 / 03 / 2007 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crossyne guttata

Crossyne guttata (Hedi Stummer)
Common names: parasol lily, April fool lily (Eng.); sambreelblom (Afr.)
Family: Amaryllidaceae

This is a popular winter growing bulb, chosen mostly for its broad leaves that are fringed with brown hair-like bristles....

01 / 08 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crossandra greenstockii

Crossandra greenstockii
Common names: bushveld crossandra (Eng.) rooiblom (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

Crossandra greenstockii is a beautiful little perennial, with bright orange to red flowers all summer; it looks very stunning in flower, providing a welcome...

26 / 07 / 2021 | Fergy Nkadimeng | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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