Plants of the Week

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E.g., 12/10/2024
E.g., 12/10/2024

Bulbine abyssinica

Flowers
Common names: bushy bulbine (Eng.); geelkatstert, wildekopieva (Afr.); ibhucu (Zulu); intelezi (Xhosa); moetsa-mollo (Sotho)
Family: Asphodelaceae

The bushy bulbine, Bulbine abyssinica, is a hardy, water-wise plant that offers a brilliant yellow display when in flower. Inflorescences with...

06 / 11 / 2006 | Ronell R. Klopper | Pretoria NBG
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Leucospermum muirii

Flowers heads change colour
Common names: Albertinia pincushion ( Eng. ); bloukoolhout (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

A neat, attractive and lime-loving specimen of the Proteaceae family, this bushy shrub will be a delightful display in a fynbos garden....

06 / 11 / 2006 | Monique Twine | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Barleria rotundifolia

Barleria rotundifolia
Common names: spiny yellow barleria, thorny bush violet, yellow barleria (Eng.); geelbarleria (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

The spiny Barleria rotundifolia is an evergreen shrub that produces beautiful butter-yellow flowers from December to late summer, and is ideal...

13 / 11 / 2006 | Lou-nita LeRoux | Lowveld NBG
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Stangeria eriopus

Growing in Kirstenbosch
Common names: Stanger`s cycad, Natal grass cycad (Eng.); bobbejaankos (Afr.); Imfingo (Zulu); Umfingwani (Xhosa)
Family: Zamiaceae

Stangeria eriopus, not often seen in cultivation, develops into a most attractive perennial with large fern-like leaves, which is why it is often mistaken...

13 / 11 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Maytenus oleoides

Maytenus oleoides in fruit
Common names: mountain maytenus ( Eng. ); klipkershout (Afr.)
Family: Celastraceae

Maytenus oleioides is a handsome tree with a deep green, dense, rounded crown and stout trunk, a good choice for today's smaller gardens as it...

20 / 11 / 2006 | Mandy Barnes | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Pavetta lanceolata

Flowers
Common names: weeping bride's bush, forest bride's bush, bridal bush, Christmas bush ( Eng.); treurbruidsbos, bruidsbos (Afr.); umhleza, ilitoba, umgonogono, umphon
Family: Rubiaceae

In full flower, Pavetta lanceolata looks like a bride adorned in pure white, full of expectation and hope for a long and happy life, hence the...

20 / 11 / 2006 | Paul Herman | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Passerina corymbosa

Flowers
Common names: gonna bush (Eng.); gonnabos, bakkerbos (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

Passerina corymbosa, a medium to tall shrub covered in masses of small creamy flowers, is fast-growing and would be a welcome addition to any fynbos...

27 / 11 / 2006 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Stapelia

Stapelia gigantea
Common names: carrion flower (Eng.); aasblom (Afr.)
Family: Apocynaceae

Known globally as African starfish flowers, and locally as carrion flowers, members of the genus Stapelia are usually characterised by their...

27 / 11 / 2006 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Diplorhynchus condylocarpon

Twig with flowers
Common names: Rhodesian rubber tree, horn-pod tree, wild rubber (Eng.); horingpeultjieboom, horingpeulbos, melkbos (Afr.); mutowa (Shona); tsowa (Tsonga); ntsowa, m
Family: Apocynaceae

Diplorhynchus condylocarpon grows either as a shrub or as a small, graceful tree with drooping branches. Although it is seldom found in gardens, the...

04 / 12 / 2006 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Tritoniopsis triticea

Flowers
Common names: mountain pipes (Eng.); rooibergpypie, klipuintjie, berguintjie, karkarblom (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A bright red, spiky-looking flower growing among the fynbos in a dry rocky area, caught my eye as I was walking along the contour path above Kirstenbosch...

04 / 12 / 2006 | Xolelwa Lusithi | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Arctotis fastuosa

Orange form of A.fastuosa
Common names: Namaqualand arctotis, Iceland daisy, Namaqua marigold, double Namaqualand daisy (Eng.); Namakwagousblom, bittergousblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Arctotis fastuosa with large colourful flowers, is an easy-to-grow annual from the dry Namaqualand region....

11 / 12 / 2006 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ursinia anthemoides subsp. anthemoides

Flowers and foliage
Common names: mountain marigold ( Eng. ); bergmagriet, ringmagriet (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Ursinia anthemoides, with its bright yellow flowers, catches the eye wherever it is planted. In spring the plants make a mass display, especially in Niewoudtville...

11 / 12 / 2006 | N Swelankomo | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Dalbergia obovata

Fruits of D.obovata.Photo G Nichols
Common names: climbing flat bean (Eng.); bobbejaankoudoring, rankplatboontjie (Afr.); udukuduku, isibandhlube, uphandlazi (Zulu); umzungu, umzungulu (Xhosa)
Family: Fabaceae

...

18 / 12 / 2006 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ficus abutilifolia

Roots
Common names: large-leaved rock fig, rock wild fig (Eng.); grootblaarrotsvy, klipvy (Afr.); inkokhokho, impayi, ubambematsheni (Zulu); momelantsweng (Tswana); tshik
Family: Moraceae

The conspicuous white to yellow roots and stems of the large-leaved rock fig are an impressive sight, well adapted to hugging rock faces and splitting...

18 / 12 / 2006 | Jan-Hakon Burring | Pretoria NBG
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Platycarpha

Platycarpha glomerata
Common names: imboziza, inyathelo, imbozisayabesuthu (Zulu for P. glomerata )
Family: Asteraceae

Platycarpha is a relatively unknown genus of three species endemic to southern Africa. The plants are unusual because the inflorescences occur in the...

25 / 12 / 2006 | Marinda Koekemoer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Sandersonia aurantiaca

Flowers
Common names: Christmas bells (Eng.); geelklokkie (Afr.); ushayabhici (Zulu); ihlamvu (Zulu)
Family: Colchicaceae

Seldom seen in cultivation in southern Africa, the highly ornamental, lantern-like flowers of Sandersonia aurantiaca are universally admired,...

25 / 12 / 2006 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erythrina latissima

Erythrina latissima
Common names: broad-leaved coral tree (Eng.); breëblaarkoraalboom, grootblaar (Afr.); umnqwane, umsintsi (Xhosa); umqwabagqwaba, umqongqazi (Zulu); mokhupye (North
Family: Fabaceae

This most unusual of the South African Erythrina species is an interesting tree with major bird-attracting potential....

01 / 01 / 2007 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Tylecodon ellaphieae

Growing in habitat,Rosyntjiesberg.
Common names: Rosyntjieberg-nenta (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Tylecodon ellaphieae is one of 46 species in the genus Tylecodon, all endemic to the winter rainfall region of South Africa and Namibia....

01 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Moringa ovalifolia

M.ovalifolia growing on Brandberg, Namibia
Common names: phantom tree, ghost tree, African moringo (Eng.); sprokiesboom, meelsakboom (Afr.); Omutindi (Herero); Oluhongwe (Ovambo)
Family: Moringaceae

Moringa ovalifolia is a decorative, thickset, succulent-stemmed, erect tree of the dry, desert and semi-desert areas of Namibia. It can be seen on...

08 / 01 / 2007 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Plectranthus zuluensis

Plant in flower
Common names: Zulu spurflower ( Eng. ); Zoeloespoorsalie, Zoeloemuishondblaar (Afr.).
Family: Lamiaceae

The delicate blue flowers and velvety leaves of Plectranthus zuluensis make this easily grown shrub a winner for those difficult shady areas in summer...

08 / 01 / 2007 | Isabel Johnson | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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