Plants of the Week

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E.g., 13/10/2024
E.g., 13/10/2024

Metalasia aurea

Metalasia aurea flowers. Photo Adriaan Grobler
Common names: golden metalasia, yellow metalasia (Eng.); geelsteekbossie, geelblombos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Metalasia aurea has the most unusual flower colour for Metalasia, and may be seen when travelling along the N2 freeway from Humansdorp to Port Elizabeth....

23 / 03 / 2015 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mesembryanthemum varians

Plant in flower
Common names: salt mesemb, skeleton plant (English); soutvygie (Afrikaans)
Family: Aizoaceae

Mesembryanthemum varians was previously known as Sceletium varians. It is known to have few medicinal properties —  unlike Mesembryathemum...

14 / 07 / 2014 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Mesembryanthemum crystallinum

Mesembryanthemum crystallinum
Common names: common ice plant, crystalline ice plant, rosa de jericho (Eng.); brakslaai, brakvy, noeta, olifantslaai, slaai, slaaibos, slaaibossie, soutslaai, vols
Family: Aizoaceae

This is an extremely stress-tolerant, prostrate, succulent annual with distinctive, glistening bladder cells on its leaves and stems, that look like ice...

15 / 07 / 2019 | Sinikeziwe Ncaphayi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mesembryanthemum amplectens

Mesembryanthemum amplectens in flower in habitat
Common names: clasping ice plant (Eng.); klouvygie (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

A distinctive low-growing succulent dominating the flat lands of the Richtersveld, forming a beautiful floral mat on open spaces with its eye-catching...

07 / 10 / 2024 | Thabang Makola | Karoo Desert NBG
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Mesembryanthemaceae

Aptenia  cordifolia
Common names: mesembs, fig marigold, midday flower, ice plant (Eng.); vygie (Afr.)
Family: Mesembryanthemaceae

The Mesembryanthemaceae form a major and unique component of southern Africa's arid land flora. Succulent leaves, bright shiny-petalled flowers and...

29 / 03 / 2004 | Pascale Chesselet | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Merxmuellera macowanii

Merxmuellera macowanii
Common names: molalashlolo, moseha (South Sotho)
Family: Poaceae

M. macowanii is a wiry grass, forming large, lax tussocks and flowering in summer. Grasses are the most important plant family in the world,...

25 / 04 / 2005 | Thabiso Mpongo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Merwilla plumbea subsp. kraussii

A clump of Merwilla plumbea subsp. kraussii in flower
Common names: dwarf blue squill, wild squill, dwarf scilla (Eng.); kleinblouslangkop, kleinblouberglelie (Afr.); ichitha, inguduza (isiZulu)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Falling under one of the most complicated genera, Merwilla plumbea subsp. kraussii, small as it is, sure has a lot of potential to be a rewarding pot plant...

02 / 10 / 2023 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Merwilla plumbea

Merwilla plumbea
Common names: wild squill, blue squill, blue hyacinth, blouberglelie, blouslangkop, inguduza
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Merwilla plumbea is a graceful perennial bulb, and with its tall plumes of blue flowers, the showiest of the South African scillas. Merwilla plumbea is...

22 / 10 / 2001 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Merwilla dracomontana

Merwilla dracomontana
Common names: miniature blue squill, moutain squill, dragon mountain squill, alpine squill
Family: Hyacinthaceae

The miniature blue squill is a bristly, dwarf bulbous plant from the hyacinth family in the genus Merwilla, native to the Drakensberg foothills of KwaZulu-Natal...

07 / 08 / 2023 | Dineo Dibakwane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Merciera

Family: Campanulaceae

Merciera, with its white or purple tubular flowers, is a little-known member of the Campanulaceae, endemic to the Cape Floristic Region....

12 / 12 / 2005 | C Cupido | Compton Herbarium
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Mentha longifolia

Mentha longifolia subsp.capensis
Common names: wild mint (Eng.); kruisement, balderjan, ballerja (Afr.); koena-ya-thaba, bohatsu (Southern Sotho); inixina, inzinziniba (Xhosa); ufuthana lomhlanga (
Family: Lamiaceae

With its strong mint smell and taste, this herb has found its way into homes for centuries where it has been used in the kitchen and as a medicine. There...

26 / 01 / 2004 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mentha aquatica

Mentha aquatica by Olexandr Ghryb
Common names: water mint, wild mint, wild thyme, marsh mint, aromatic thyme (Eng); waterment, kruisement, kruistement (Afr), amabunu, imbozisa, umaliwane, umayime,
Family: Lamiaceae

A splendorous plant with purple flowers clustered in balls on the internodes of the stems, to entice anyone passing by the marshy field. Not only are you...

13 / 02 / 2023 | Swinky Nkosi | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Melolobium candicans

Melolobium candicans
Common names: honey bush (Eng.), heuningbossie, stroopbossie, voëltjie-kan-nie-sit-nie (Afr.), sehlabane (Sesotho)
Family: Fabaceae

...

29 / 01 / 2024 | Lufuno Nenungwi | Free State NBG
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Melinis repens

Melinis repens
Common names: Natal red top (Eng.); bergrooigras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

An attractive, yet hardy tufted grass, which requires little maintenance for a showy display in spring and summer....

25 / 06 / 2018 | Phakamani Xaba | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Melinis nerviglumis

Melinis nerviglumis
Common names: bristle-leaved red-top grass (Eng.); ferweelgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

This pretty, tufted grass with its bluish leaves and shining pink inflorescences is an attractive addition to any border or wild garden. It is particularly...

24 / 02 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Melica decumbens

Melica decumbens
Common names: staggers grass (Eng.); dronkgras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

Melica decumbens is a short grass producing many flowering stems with spikelets (flowers) that usually have dark purple glumes (bracts) that contrast beautifully...

19 / 04 / 2004 | L Fish | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Melianthus villosus

Melianthus villosus
Common names: maroon honey flower, Drakensberg honey flower (Eng.); Drakensbergse kruidjie-roer-my-nie (Afr.); ibhonya (Zulu)
Family: Melianthaceae

A multi-stemmed, soft, evergreen shrub, with showy, serrated leaves that provide a beautiful tropical effect in the garden....

05 / 06 / 2017 | Samuel Lekhetho | Free State NBG
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Melianthus major

Melianthus major
Common names: honey flower, melianthus, giant honey flower, touch-me-not (Eng.); kruidjie-roer-my-nie, heuningblom, klappers, krikkiebos (Afr.); ubuhlungubemamba, u
Family: Melianthaceae

With its decorative blue-green leaves and tall, dark rusty-red flower heads, this is a striking plant. On a sunny day the birds feast on the nectar dripping...

19 / 06 / 2017 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Melianthus elongatus

Melianthus elongatus in flower in Kirstenbosch
Common names: strandveld honeyflower, dwarf honeyflower, small melianthus, turkey bush (Eng.); kruidjie-roer-my-nie, truitjie (Afr.)
Family: Melianthaceae

...

20 / 02 / 2023 | Mashudu Nndanduleni | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Melianthus comosus

Melianthus comosus
Common names: crown honeyflower (Eng); kruidjie-roer-my -nie (Afr.)
Family: Melianthaceae

Melianthus comosus is an ideal plant for a low-maintenance, waterwise garden, but it does need to be pruned to keep it neat and to encourage new growth....

20 / 09 / 2004 | Shireen Harris | Free State NBG
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