Plants of the Week

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E.g., 04/12/2024
E.g., 04/12/2024

Sparaxis auriculata

Sparaxis auriculata
Common names: Matsikamma sparaxis, ear satinflower (Eng.), fluweelblom, fluweeltjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

A flowering bulbous plant with large, bright mauve and yellow, two-lipped flowers with six petals. It is a local endemic from the Matsikamma Mountains...

27 / 11 / 2023 | Sisipho Mqungguthu | Karoo Desert NBG
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Gasteria retusa

Gasteria retusa
Common names: Hex River ox-tongue (Eng.), Heksrivier beestong (Afr.)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Gasteria retusa is a cluster-forming leaf succulent of about 240 mm in diameter. The leaves are beautifully ornamented, wrinkled, with transverse bands...

20 / 11 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Annona senegalensis

Ripe fruit of Annona senegalensis
Common names: wild custard apple, African custard apple (Eng.), wildesuikerappel (Afr.), umphofu (Zul.), umtelembu (Swa.), muyembe (Tso.), muembe (Ven.)
Family: Annonaceae

Annona senegalensis is a multi-stemmed, deciduous African fruit tree that is found in semi-arid to subhumid areas. It has a long history of traditional...

20 / 11 / 2023 | Accurate Sondlhana | Lowveld NBG
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Osteospermum scariosum

Osteospermum scariosum
Common names: sheep bush, sheep boneseed (Eng.); skaapbos, bietou, sagtebietou (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Osteospermum scariosum is a beautiful yellow daisy, the flowerheads often having a striking dark ring around the centre....

13 / 11 / 2023 | Khanya Ntondini | Compton Herbarium
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Grona setigera

Grona setigera
Common names: bristly tick-clover (Eng.); pomo, pomσ (Mende, Sierra Leone)
Family: Fabaceae

Grona setigera, commonly known as bristly tick-clover, is a beautiful legume that grows close to the ground, with remarkable, beautiful, colourful flowers...

13 / 11 / 2023 | Mbali Mkhize | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Desmodium repandum

Common names: orange tick-clover
Family: Fabaceae

See Hylodesmum repandum...

08 / 11 / 2023 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Tripteris aghillana

Common names: sheep bush, sheep boneseed (Eng.); skaapbos, bietou, sagtebietou (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

See Osteospermum scariosum...

08 / 11 / 2023 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Desmodium setigerum

Common names: bristly tick-clover
Family: Fabaceae

See Grona setigera...

08 / 11 / 2023 | | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Babiana montana

Babiana montana
Common names: Agulhas baboon flower (Eng.); bobbejaantjie, bobbejaanuintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Babiana montana is a perennial plant, usually called bobbejaantjie or baboon flower, native to South Africa. It has hairy green leaves and purple flowers...

06 / 11 / 2023 | Philisiwe Nonhlanhla Biyela | Pretoria NBG
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Erica heliophila

Erica heliophila
Common names: sunlover heath (Eng.); sonliefhebber heide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica heliophila gives a show of creamy white or pale to deep pink flowers in midsummer (December to February)....

06 / 11 / 2023 | Benjamin Festus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Crassula tetragona

Crassula tetragona ssp. robusta
Common names: kerkei, miniature pine tree, mini pine (Eng.); karkai (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

An attractive, hardy, evergreen succulent plant with a compact upright habit, dark green, sword-shaped leaves that curve upwards and creamy white flowers....

30 / 10 / 2023 | Thato Moeketsane | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Grewia microthyrsa

Grewia microthyrsa
Common names: sand raisin (Eng.), sandrosyntjie (Afr.), mufuka (Tshivenda), nsihana (Xitsonga), umunywane, ilalanyathi, ikolo (isiZulu).
Family: Malvaceae

An indigenous shrub with edible fruit and attractive flowers....

30 / 10 / 2023 | Nompumelelo Nkosi | Pretoria NBG
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Portulacaria namaquensis

Illustration by Marieta Visagie
Common names: Namaqua porkbush (Eng.), wolftoon, Namakwariem, Namakwaspekboom (Afr.)
Family: Didiereaceae

Portulacaria namaquensis is an ascending, slow-growing shrub with pale creamy to yellowish or greyish, pencil-thin stems bearing many very short spur-branches...

23 / 10 / 2023 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Ledebouria humifusa

Ledebouria humifusa
Common names: broad-leaved African hyacinth
Family: Hyacinthaceae

The broad-leaved African hyacinth is a bulbous plant with broad usually spotted leaves, which prefers to grow in the shade of forests or wooded areas amongst...

23 / 10 / 2023 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Helichrysum drakensbergense

Helichrysum drakensbergense
Common names: Drakensberg everlasting (Eng.)
Family: Asteraceae

The Drakensberg everlasting is a small perennial herb with woolly grey leaves and compact flat inflorescences of yellow flowers on long stalks covered...

16 / 10 / 2023 | Mashudu Tshitereke | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Kniphofia northiae

Kniphofia northiae
Common names: broad-leaved poker, Marianne North’s poker, giant red-hot poker, octopus torch (Eng.); icacane, umathunga (isiZulu.); leloele (Sesotho)
Family: Asphodelaceae

Kniphofia northiae, is an award-winning, gigantic red-hot poker, its striking architectural leaves and hardiness making it significant in gardening.Fig....

16 / 10 / 2023 | Vathiswa Zikishe | CREW
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Empodium veratrifolium

Star-shaped flower
Common names: West Coast star (Eng.); breëblaar sterretjie; Weskus sterretjie (Afr.)
Family: Hypoxidaceae

The bright yellow West Coast star appears after the first good autumn rains, at a time when few other geophytes are in flower. It is easily grown in pots,...

09 / 10 / 2023 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Phaulopsis imbricata

Phaulopsis imbricata
Common names: sticky acanth (Eng.); umhlonyane (isiZulu); papleaf (The Gambia), salt of the cow (Senegal)
Family: Acanthaceae

Phaulopsis imbricata is a bushy, perennial herbaceous plant, with small white flowers in short spikes that are sticky to the touch. Easy to grow, it is...

09 / 10 / 2023 | Bongekile Ndlovu | Pretoria NBG
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Searsia tomentosa

Searsia tomentosa, male flowers.
Common names: bicoloured currant, furry currant, wild currant, current crowberry (Eng), korentebos, korentetaaibos (Afr.) umhlakothi, inhlokoshiyane (isiZulu).
Family: Anacardiaceae

Searsia tomentosa is an attractive, bushy shrub to small tree with multi-coloured foliage, that is commonly known as bicoloured currant. It produces flowers...

02 / 10 / 2023 | Luyanda Bhengu | Free State NBG
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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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