Plants of the Week

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E.g., 24/11/2024
E.g., 24/11/2024

Ozoroa obovata var. elliptica

Ozoroa obovata tree
Common names: broad-leaved resin tree (Eng.); breë blaarharpuisboom (Afr.)
Family: Anacardiaceae

The broad-leaved resin tree is a semi-deciduous to evergreen shrub or tree that is suitable for small gardens....

05 / 09 / 2011 | J K Baloyi | Pretoria NBG
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Ozoroa barbertonensis

Ozoroa barbertonensis in flower and with fruit
Common names: Barberton ozoroa
Family: Anacardiaceae

Ozoroa barbertonensis is different from the rest of the southern African species of Ozoroa, with its beautiful, much longer, narrow leaves with shiny upper...

04 / 09 / 2023 | Sefularo Ramaboea | National Zoological Gardens
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Oxytenanthera abyssinica

Oxytenanthera abyssinica growing in the DRC. Photo Duncan McKenzie
Common names: holy Venda bamboo, wild bamboo (Eng.); heilige Venda-bamboes, wilde-bamboes (Afr.); musununu (Ven.)
Family: Poaceae

A large, woody plant that belongs in the grass family, Poaceae, and is endemic to Africa, known as the holy Venda bamboo, wild bamboo or musununu in South...

16 / 01 / 2023 | Lesibana Petrus Maema | Thohoyandou NBG
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Oxyanthus pyriformis subsp. pyriformis

Oxyanthus pyriformis flowers and foliage (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: hatpins loquat, Natal loquat (Eng.); hoedespeldlukwart, Natallukwart (Afr.); isibinda esingakhali-amasi (isiZulu); umgungununu (siSwati)
Family: Rubiaceae

Medley Wood described this loquat-like shrub as ‘an exceedingly handsome shrub of good habit, growing generally under large trees in those parts...

11 / 01 / 2016 | Alec Naidoo | Pretoria NBG
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Oxalis purpurea

Pink Oxalis purpurea
Common names: grand duchess sorrel (Eng.); suuring (Afr.)
Family: Oxalidaceae

A common but undervalued South African native plant, Oxalis purpurea can make a most magnificent garden plant that flowers for half the year....

21 / 12 / 2009 | Adam Harrower | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Oxalis hirta

Oxalis hirta
Common names: hairy oxalis (Eng.); suring (Afr.)
Family: Oxalidaceae

A vigorous, easy-to-grow, ornamental Oxalis with branched stems and attractive magenta-pink flowers in winter and spring....

13 / 01 / 2020 | Azwinndini Mudau | Free State NBG
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Oxalis

Oxalis zeekoevleyensis
Common names: sorrel (Eng.); suring (Afr.)
Family: Oxalidaceae

Members of the genus Oxalis — with their brightly coloured delicate flowers, clover-like leaves and corolla lobes twisted in the bud — are...

30 / 08 / 2004 | Elizabeth Retief | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Ottosonderia monticola

Ottosonderia monticola fruits
Common names: crossvygie (Eng.), kruisvygie, granietvygie, bergvingertjies (Afr.)
Family: Aizoaceae

Ottosonderia monticola is a dwarf, tufted mesemb, with ascending flowering branches above the leaf canopy. The flowering branch remains active for more...

26 / 10 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna triplinervia

Othonna triplinervia
Common names: three-veined othonna
Family: Asteraceae

A succulent shrub that flourishes in heavy, winter rainfall areas. Its rounded growth form and velvety foliage, makes this plant a desirable specimen for...

26 / 12 / 2016 | Jermaine Christoffels | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna retrofracta

Seedheads
Common names: none known
Family: Asteraceae

Othonna retrofracta, with its bonsai-like appearance, is suitable for water-wise gardens in arid areas....

03 / 03 / 2014 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Othonna quinquedentata

Othonna quinquedentata
Common names: Five-tooth baboon cabbage, heavenly daisy (Eng.); bobbejaankool (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

The five-tooth baboon cabbage, with its thick, light green, slightly fleshy leaves, looks inconspicuous at most times of the year but a few months after...

30 / 08 / 2021 | Karen Wall | Harold Porter NBG
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Othonna perfoliata

Othonna perfoliata (John Manning)
Common names: trailing othonna (Eng.); bobbejaankoolklimop (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

An Othonna with striking yellow flowers, found lurking among tall vegetation, to brighten your garden in the cold winter days....

09 / 04 / 2018 | Luvo Magoswana | Compton Herbarium
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Othonna herrei

Othonna herrei in cultivation at the Karoo Desert NBG.
Common names: Richtersveld othonna
Family: Asteraceae

This bonsai-like Othonna is unique and certainly the most remarkable species in the genus....

03 / 04 / 2017 | Carole Sutty | Karoo Desert NBG
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Othonna euphorbioides

Othonna euphorbioides (Nick Helme)
Common names: spiny othonna (Eng.); doringkers (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A thorny, yet charming, mound-forming species of Othonna with striking yellow flowers to brighten your garden in the cold winter days....

17 / 10 / 2016 | Refilwe Kolokoto | Compton Herbarium
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Othonna dentata

In flower
Common names: toothed othonna
Family: Asteraceae

This blue-grey succulent shrublet is ideally suited to coastal gardens and deserves to be more popular with gardeners....

14 / 10 / 2013 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Othonna cakilefolia

Othonna cakilefolia (Photo Nick Helme)
Common names: sea-rocket othonna (Eng.); bobbejaankool (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

One of only three Othonna species with pink to magenta florets; its striking, pink daisy-like flower heads, make it a desirable member of the genus.Fig....

11 / 05 / 2020 | Xichavo Mathebula | Compton Herbarium
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Othonna arbuscula

Othonna arbuscula
Common names: bonsai othonna (Eng.); knolharpuis, knolrepuis,nu-nu, traap (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

A small succulent shrub from the arid areas of southern Africa, which has the appearance of a small tree or bonsai....

15 / 08 / 2016 | Ricardo Riddles | Karoo Desert NBG
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Otholobium virgatum

Plant in flower
Common names: carpet pea, mat otholobium, eight-day-healing bush (Eng.); agtdaegeneesbossie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

This is a mat-forming and low-growing, trailing, ground cover with masses of mauve-pink, pea-like flowers in spring....

24 / 11 / 2014 | Zoleka Maphanga | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Otholobium fruticans

Otholobium fruticans
Common names: Cape Town pea, roundhead otholobium
Family: Fabaceae

An attractive, mat-forming groundcover or semi-shrub that bears beautiful sprays of pea-like, purple-blue flowers in spring....

21 / 08 / 2017 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Otholobium bracteolatum

Otholobium bracteolatum
Common names: strand dottypea (Eng.); skaapbostee, swawelbos (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

A resilient, beautiful, sprawling shrub, not easily missed because of its pretty mauve and white flowers, which are borne in dense rounded inflorescences...

06 / 05 / 2019 | Naomi Mdayi | Millennium Seed Bank Partnership
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