Plants of the Week

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E.g., 01/12/2024
E.g., 01/12/2024

Syntrichia papillosa

Spreading leaves
Common names: marble screw-moss
Family: Pottiaceae

The relatively large brood-bodies on the leaves of Syntrichia papillosa are visible with the naked eye or through a hand-lens....

22 / 12 / 2014 | Jacques van Rooy | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Sansevieria hyacinthoides

Inflorescence
Common names: mother-in-law’s tongue, piles root, bowstring hemp (Eng.); skoonma-se-tong, aambeiwortel, haasoor (Afr.); kai, ghaiwortel (Khoi); isikholokotho (Xho
Family: Ruscaceae

The mother-in-law’s tongue is an evergreen, perennial herb, with its handsome robust, flat, dark green and fibrous leaves that attact game. Its scented...

19 / 01 / 2015 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Scilla natalensis

This plant is now called Merwilla plumbea....

| | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Scabiosa columbaria

Scabiosa columbaria. Photo: Damien Coulson
Common names: wild scabious (Engl.); bitterbos (Afr.),tlhako- ea- pitsi, selomi, mamokhale, moholungoane (South Sotho); isilawu, esikhulu, makgha (isiXhosa); ibheka
Family: Dipsacaceae

This is a lovely wild flower species with faintly scented blooms, appearing throughout the year....

20 / 04 / 2015 | Azwinndini Mudau | Free State NBG
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Streptocarpus parviflorus

Streptocarpus parviflorus closeup of flowers
Common names: Cape primrose, wild gloxinia (Engl.)
Family: Gesneriaceae

This is a stemless, soft herbaceous, pot plant, with clusters of white, tubular flowers showing pretty violet streaks in a pale yellow throat....

08 / 06 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Schizocarphus nervosus

Schizocarphus nervosus. Image Geoff Nichols
Common names: white scilla, white wild squill (Eng.); sandlelie (Afr.); seboka (Sesotho); imbita-yebantwana, ndvwendvweni (siSwati); sabantwana, umagaqana, inkwitel
Family: Hyacinthaceae

...

20 / 07 / 2015 | M.S. Mothogoane | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Searsia pondoensis

Searsia pondoensis
Common names: many-veined currant (Engl.); veelnerftaaibos (Afr.); inHlangushane (SiSwati)
Family: Anacardiaceae

The many-veined currant is a relatively small perennial re-sprouter with green to greyish foliage, confined to grassland and open woodland....

07 / 09 / 2015 | Andrew Hankey | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Satyrium rhodanthum

Satyrium rhodanthum. Photo Richard Braby
Common names: None recorded
Family: Orchidaceae

The Endangered Satyrium rhodanthum grows into a tapering, majestic beauty with flamboyant pink or red flowers....

21 / 09 / 2015 | Kaveesha Naicker | CREW
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Smicrostigma viride

Smicrostigma viride
Common names: no common names known
Family: Aizoaceae

This neat attractive succulent shrublet will make a great addition to a water-wise garden....

05 / 10 / 2015 | Shireen Harris | Karoo Desert NBG
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Searsia glauca

Searsia glauca
Common names: blue kunibush (Engl.); bloukoeniebos (Afr.)
Family: Anacardiaceae

Searsia glauca is a sprawling, wind resistant shrub or small tree, that is perfect in harsh coastal conditions, with berries that attract pollinators and...

12 / 10 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Selago tarachodes

Selago tarachodes Peter R. Warren
Common names: trouble selago
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Selago tarachodes is a neat, compact, herbaceous perennial, with shiny green leaves and masses of showy, white, flower-heads, that flowers throughout the...

09 / 11 / 2015 | Zama Sibisi | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Senecio littoreus

Senecio littoreus
Common names: coast senecio (Eng.), geelhongerblom (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Senecio littoreus is a small, but tough, erect annual, well suited to extreme coastal conditions....

16 / 11 / 2015 | Roger Oliver | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sterculia alexandri

Sterculia alexandri
Common names: Cape star-chestnut (Eng.); Kaapsesterkastaiing (Afr.)
Family: Malvaceae

Sterculia alexandri is a medium-sized, thickset tree with compound leaves and yellow flowers. It is endemic to the Eastern Cape, west of Port Elizabeth,...

30 / 11 / 2015 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Serruria decipiens

Serruria decipiens
Common names: sandveld spiderhead
Family: Proteaceae

The Sandveld spiderhead is a small rounded fynbos shrub with clusters of sweetly scented, creamy white flowers in spring; it is well suited to fynbos gardens...

07 / 12 / 2015 | Zitobile Sikova | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sutherlandia frutescens

This plant is now called Lessertia frutescens....

08 / 12 / 2003 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Searsia lucida

Searsia lucida (Brian KD)
Common names: glossy crowberry, glossy currant, glossy wild currant (Eng.); blinktaaibos, slaptaaibos (Afr.); intlokolotshane-ebomvu, umchane, amapozi (isiXhosa); i
Family: Anacardiaceae

A versatile shrub or small tree, with attractive shiny leaves and creamy white flowers, which are followed by green fruits that ripen to red-brown and...

21 / 12 / 2015 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sagittanthera mzimvubuensis

Ruby bulb scales of Sagittanthera mzimvubuensis in cultivation.
Common names: Mzimvubu-ruby (Eng.); kransrobyn (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

Sagittanthera mzimvubuensis is a geophyte with decorative club-shaped, ruby-green bulb scales and pendent, terete leaves, growing on cliffs along the Mzimvubu...

04 / 01 / 2016 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Salpinctium natalense

Salpinctium natalense (Geoff Nichols)
Common names: none
Family: Acanthaceae

Salpinctium natalense is a lovely and rare herbaceous perennial that is known from only one site in  KwaZulu-Natal; it is well suited to cool, shady...

18 / 01 / 2016 | Sisanda Alakhe Velembo-Mhlauli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Senegalia burkei

Senegalia burkei (Alex Dreyer)
Common names: black monkey-thorn (Eng.); swartapiesdoring (Afr.); umkhaya wehlalahlathi, umbabampala (isiZulu); umkhaya (siSwati); mokgwa, mokoba (Setswana); mokwar
Family: Fabaceae

Senegalia burkei is a distinctive deciduous tree that can be identified easily throughout the year. It has spikes of creamy white flowers in early summer,...

21 / 03 / 2016 | Thobile Mlaba | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Streptocarpus meyeri

Streptocarpus meyeri
Common names: Cape primrose, wild gloxinia (Eng.)
Family: Gesneriaceae

A lovely, neat, pretty species of Streptocarpus that has flat-growing, rough leaves and delicate flowing stems presenting white flowers with a violet blush...

30 / 05 / 2016 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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