Plants of the Week

Cissampelos capensis

Common names: Cape moonseed vine (Eng.); dawidjies, davidjes, dawidjieswortel, dawedjieswortel, fynblaarklimop (Afr.); umayisake (isiXhosa)

Family: Menispermaceae

Cissampelos capensis is a tough, slow-growing, sprawling or climbing shrublet with beautiful bluish-green foliage, and is a well-known medicinal plant...

20 / 06 / 2022 | Laura Dineo Selepe | Karoo Desert NBG

Cissus quadrangularis

Common names: climbing cactus, cactus vine, succulent-stemmed wild grape, edible-stemmed vine (Eng.); velddruif (Afr.); ijovane, isinwazi, umhlushwane, umnhlonhlwan

Family: Vitaceae

A climber with square, fleshy, green stems and red berries in summer. The stems, roots and leaves are used in traditional medicine to treat various human...

24 / 01 / 2022 | M Mashiane | National Herbarium Pretoria

Citrullus lanatus

Common names: tsamma melon, wild watermelon (Eng.); bitterboela, bitterwaatlemoen, karkoer (Afr.); t'sama (Khoisan); makataan (Tswana)

Family: Cucurbitaceae

...

26 / 12 / 2011 | M Welman | National Herbarium Pretoria

Cladostemon kirkii

Common names: three-finger bush, butterfly-tree (Eng.); Tonga-kierie (Eng. & Afr.); umThekwini, umusi-iyamuka, uphanda, isidumbu (isiZulu)

Family: Brassicaceae

How is it possible that a tree with such attractive flowers should bear fruits with such an awful stench?...

07 / 05 / 2007 | Hugh Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG

Clausena anisata

Common names: horsewood (Eng.); perdepis, perdepisboom, lemoenhout, perdeboom, perdebos , perdepisbos , perdepisbossie, stinkbas, basternieshout (Afr.); umnukelambi

Family: Rutaceae

Clausena anisata is a very neat and attractive small tree, that gives off a strong scent that is considered by many to be unpleasant; when the leaves are...

01 / 11 / 2021 | Thamsanqa Msweli | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clematis brachiata

Common names: traveller's joy, old man's beard, wild clematis; klimop, lemoenbloeisels (Afr.); ityolo (isiXhosa); morara (S); mogau (T); umdlonzo (isiZulu)

Family: Ranunculaceae

...

25 / 03 / 2002 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clematis brachiata x villosa ‘Silver Beard’

Common names: silver beard clematis

Family: Ranunculaceae

A sweet, pretty, indigenous hybrid clematis, named in honour of its creator, renowned horticulturist and botanist, Rodney Saunders....

08 / 04 / 2019 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cleome foliosa

Common names: Yellow glory, yellow spindlepod.

Family: Brassicaceae

Cleome foliosa is a charming annual for the water wise garden....

10 / 02 / 2014 | Anthony R. Magee | Compton Herbarium

Cleome gynandra

Common names: African cabbage, spider-wisp (Eng.); murudi (Venda); snotterbelletjie (Afr.); morotho (Northern Sotho)

Family: Capparaceae

African cabbage is of economic importance as it is among the herbs that are used as indigenous vegetables in rural areas of southern Africa. Analyses have...

03 / 10 / 2011 | Cathbert Makgakga | Compton Herbarium

Cleretum bellidiforme

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

Family: Aizoaceae

Cleretum bellidiforme, previously Dorotheanthus bellidiformis, is one of South Africa’s most famous wildflower exports, grown worldwide for its dazzling,...

23 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clerodendron glabrum

Common names: tinderwood (Eng.); moswaapeba (Sotho); tontelhout (Afr.); munukha-tshilongwe (Venda); umqwaqwanam (Xhosa); umQoqonga (Zulu); xinhunwelambeva (Tswana);

Family: Lamiaceae

This is a small tree with smelly leaves and scented flowers in summer. It has many traditional uses....

27 / 08 / 2012 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Walter Sisulu NBG

Cliffortia ferruginea

Common names: glossy cliffortia (Eng.); glastee, pypsteelbos, teringtee (Afr.)

Family: Rosaceae

A hardy, attractive ground cover with glossy green foliage that is so very versatile it can find a place to please in any everyone's garden....

12 / 09 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG

Cliffortia odorata

Common names: wild vine (Eng.); wildewingerd, wildevyerank (Afr.)

Family: Rosaceae

A hardy evergreen groundcover, with attractive, oval, green leaves, spreading vigorously in full sun or part shade....

29 / 04 / 2019 | Thembakazi Dyariwe | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clitoria ternatea var. ternatea

Common names: butterfly pea, blue pea, kordofan pea, cordofan pea, asian pigeon-wings

Family: Fabaceae

A very attractive species because of its hanging blue flowers, which makes it loved by horticulturists and landscapers. The standard petal with yellow...

23 / 05 / 2016 | Tandiwe Nkonki | National Herbarium Pretoria

Clivia caulescens

Common names: stem clivia, stalked clivia

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia caulescens is a strong grower, with stems up to 2 m long. It flowers in midsummer and will attract birds to the garden....

27 / 12 / 2004 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia gardenii

Common names: Major Garden's clivia, Natal drooping clivia (English); boslelie (Afrikaans); umayime (Zulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia gardenii is a subtle and delicately pretty sister to the well known Clivia miniata (Bush Lily), which has been in cultivation for many...

30 / 04 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Clivia miniata

Common names: bush lily (Eng.); boslelie (Afr.); umayime (Zulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

A striking plant, an international star, with its dark green leaves and trumpet-shaped orange flowers, Clivia miniata is the ideal plant for the...

20 / 08 / 2001 | Alice Aubrey | Walter Sisulu NBG

Clivia miniata var. citrina

Common names: yellow clivia, yellow bush lily (Eng.); geelboslelie (Afr.)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia miniata var. citrina is a horticulturally outstanding spring-flowering perennial, with a colourful history in cultivation. Grown worldwide for its...

02 / 10 / 2017 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia mirabilis

Common names: miracle clivia

Family: Amaryllidaceae

The discovery in the Nieuwoudtville area of the Northern Cape of a most unusual new Clivia species, Clivia mirabilis, caused much excitement in the botanical...

20 / 05 / 2002 | Nicky Malcolm | Kirstenbosch NBG

Clivia nobilis

Common names: Eastern Cape clivia, Eastern Cape bush lily (Eng.); boslelie (Afr.); umayime (isiXhosa & isiZulu)

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Clivia nobilis was the first species of Clivia to be described in 1828. It was a popular plant in England until the more spectacular Clivia miniata appeared...

02 / 01 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG

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