Plants of the Week

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Dovyalis caffra

Dovyalis caffra. Photo Geoff Nichols
Common names: Kei-apple (Eng.); Kei-appel (Afr.); motlhono (North Sotho); umqokolo (Zulu); amaqokolo (Ndebele); mukokolo (Shona)
Family: Salicaceae

Dovyalis caffra is a lovely evergreen fruit tree or shrub. It is one of the three Dovyalis species, together with D. zeyheri (wild...

12 / 05 / 2003 | Avhurengwi Phillemon Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Dracaena aletriformis

Dracaena aletriformis
Common names: large-leaved dragon tree; grootblaardrakeboom (Afr.)  
Family: Ruscaceae

The large-leaved dragon tree is a wonderful, showy foliage plant with large strap-shaped leaves in rosettes at the tips of the branches, ideal for shady...

10 / 02 / 2003 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dracosciadium italae

Insect on D.italae
Family: Apiaceae

This little-known member of the carrot family from KwaZulu-Natal makes an unusual and interesting addition to indigenous gardens....

27 / 01 / 2003 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Dregeochloa pumila

Dregeochloa pumila in its habitat. Note that the centre (inner canopy) of the plant is dead resulting in a circular outer canopy. Note the succulent leaves and compact growth.
Common names: Tom Thumb grass, Kleinduimpiegras (Afr.)
Family: Poaceae

The Tom Thumb grass (Dregeochloa pumila), a peculiar, little known grass from the coastal southern Namib Desert in South Africa and Namibia,...

02 / 02 / 2009 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosanthemum bicolor

Drosanthemum bicolor blooms
Common names: tweekleurporseleinbos (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

...

11 / 08 / 2008 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Drosanthemum hallii

Drosanthemum hallii
Common names: None recorded
Family: Aizoaceae

Gardeners will welcome the bright yellow, showy flowers of Drosanthemum hallii . This shrubby perennial gives a lustrous display of flowers in early spring,...

29 / 04 / 2013 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert 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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Drosanthemum floribundum

Drosanthemum floribundum
Common names: purple carpet (Eng.); perstapeit (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

This hardy perennial produces dazzling metallic purple flowers in spring each year....

31 / 03 / 2003 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Drosanthemum micans

In flower
Common names: Robertson vygie
Family: Aizoaceae

Drosanthemum micans is a colourful spring flowering vygie (Afr.) that is a good choice for arid gardens across the country....

18 / 09 / 2006 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Drosanthemum striatum

Drosanthemum striatum flowers
Common names: ice plant (Eng.); bergygie, vleisbos, porseleinbos (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

An attractive hardy pink perennial vygie, ideal for most garden situations....

17 / 01 / 2011 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Drosanthemum thudichumii

Drosanthemum thudichumii  shrublet
Common names: Thudichum's vygie
Family: Aizoaceae

Drosanthemum thudichumii is a hardy winter rainfall vygie (mesemb) with showy, yellow, iridescent flowers....

29 / 06 / 2009 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Drosera aliciae

Rosettes of Drosera aliciae
Common names: shepherd's crook sundew, alice sundew (Eng.); sondou (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

Drosera aliciae, with its interesting mounding habit and its long-lived nature, is a wonderful carnivorous plant and is endemic to South Africa....

10 / 09 / 2012 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosera cistiflora

Form from Niewoudtville
Common names: poppy-flowered sundew (Eng.);doublom, snotrosie (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

The magnificent flower, colour and variety of Drosera cistiflora will captivate any carnivorous plant enthusiast....

01 / 10 / 2012 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosera cuneifolia

Flower
Common names: peninsula sundew (Eng.); skiereiland sondouw, vlie & euml; vangertjie (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

Drosera cuneifolia is a winter-growing sundew that is restricted to the Cape Peninsula....

10 / 06 / 2013 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosera pauciflora

Flower
Common names: sundew (Eng.); sondouw, vlieë vangertjie (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

Drosera pauciflora is another large-flowered, winter-growing carnivorous plant from South Africa....

29 / 10 / 2012 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosera trinervia

Drosera trinervia palnt in situ
Common names: small sundew (Eng.); klein sondouw (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

This opportunistic little Drosera is one of the most common carnivorous plant species in South Africa and can be found growing amongst fynbos during winter...

20 / 08 / 2012 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosera capensis

Drosera capensis leaf
Common names: Cape sundew (Eng.); sondouw (Afr.)
Family: Droseraceae

Glistening dewdrops adorn the strap-like leaves of the sundew, enticing insects to their deaths.  ...

18 / 02 / 2008 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dryopteridaceae

Polystichum sp.
Common names: wood fern family
Family: Dryopteridaceae

The Dryopteridaceae is a large and diverse fern family with a near cosmopolitan distribution. Arachniodes (East Indian holly fern), Cyrtomium (net-veined...

09 / 02 / 2004 | Koos Roux | Compton Herbarium
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Duvernoia adhatodoides

Common names: pistol bush (Eng.); pistoolbos (Afr.); ihlwalane, isepheka, ihlwehlwe (Xhosa); uthabe, lothabe (Zulu)
Family: Acanthaceae

Duvernoia adhatodoides is now Justicia adhatodoides ...

02 / 03 / 2015 | | Compton Herbarium
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Dymondia margaretae

Dymondia margaretae foliage
Common names: carpet daisy, silver carpet (Eng.); tapytmadeliefie (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Dymondia margaretae is a one-of-a-kind, hardy, carpet-forming groundcover with a compact, neat habit and stunning blue-grey foliage. It is perfect for...

02 / 11 / 2009 | Norma Lucas | Kirstenbosch NBG
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