Plants of the Week

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E.g., 12/11/2024
E.g., 12/11/2024

Xysmalobium undulatum

Xysmalobium undulatum flowers
Common names: milk bush, milkwort, uzura, wild cotton, wave-leaved xysmalobium (Eng.); bitterhout, bitterwortel, bitterhoutwortel, melkbos (Afr.); leshokoa, poho-tÂ
Family: Apocynaceae

The wave-leaved xysmalobium is a well-known feature of the verges of most of the highways in the grassland biome during November and December. Initially...

29 / 12 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Pearsonia sessilifolia

Pearsonia sessilifolia
Common names: silwerertjietee, vaalertjietee (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

The sulphur-yellow flowers of Pearsonia sessilifolia, once pollinated, turn bright organge, signalling to their pollinators to reserve their resources...

29 / 12 / 2008 | Alicia Grobler | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Leucadendron loeriense

Leucadendron loeriense female cones in flower
Common names: loerie conebush (Eng.); loerietolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Leucadendron loeriense is one of the few members of the protea family that flower in mid-summer, producing its lovely star-shaped flowerheads and...

29 / 12 / 2008 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica plukenetii

Erica plukenetii shrub
Common names: Plukenet's heath (Eng.); hangertjie (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica plukenetii is a common species that is found on mountain slopes throughout most of the Cape Floristic Region....

29 / 12 / 2008 | Anthony Hitchcock | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Justicia odora

Justicia odora
Common names: bushveld justicia (Eng.), bosveldjusticia (Afr.)
Family: Acanthaceae

If you need a shrub for those difficult sunny areas in your garden, the attractive yellow flowering Justicia odora is just the plant that you are looking...

22 / 12 / 2008 | Willem Froneman | Lowveld NBG
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Erica hirtiflora

Erica hirtiflora flowers
Common names: hairy-flower heath, rough-flowered heath (Eng.)
Family: Ericaceae

Erica hirtiflora is a beautiful shrub with masses of purple-pink flowers in summer and autumn; it adds an elegant touch to the garden....

22 / 12 / 2008 | Natacha Williams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dianthus albens

Dianthus albens plants
Common names: wild pink
Family: Caryophyllaceae

Many people think of Dianthus or carnations as cut flowers from places in Europe and very little is known about our very own indigenous species. Although...

15 / 12 / 2008 | Gary Shanks | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Chaenostoma cordatum

Chaenostoma cordatum flower
Common names: Trailing phlox (Eng.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

Chaenostoma cordatum is the ideal groundcover for that garden spot with varying microclimates. Performing equally well in full sun to shady conditions...

15 / 12 / 2008 | Roger Oliver | Pretoria NBG
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Strychnos madagascariensis

Strychnos madagascariensis tree
Common names: black monkey orange (Eng.); swartklapper, botterklapper (Afr.); Morapa (N Sotho); Nkwaka (Tsonga); Mogorwagorwana (Tswana); Mukwakwa (Venda); umGluguz
Family: Loganiaceae

Very often confused with Strychnos spinosa, S. madagascariensis is a single- or multi-stemmed tree with a spreading, irregular, angular canopy. It grows...

08 / 12 / 2008 | Marcini Govender | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Streptocarpus rexii

Streptocarpus rexii
Common names: wild gloxinia, twin sisters
Family: Gesneriaceae

Streptocarpus rexii is a neat, compact perennial herb with attractive white to blue/pale violet flowers, and makes a perfect indoor or shade plant. It...

08 / 12 / 2008 | Etienne Arendse | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Strychnos decussata

Strychnos decussata growing in Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: Cape teak (Eng.); Kaapse kiaat (Afr.); umhlamahlala, umkhangele (Xhosa); umkhombazulu, umlahlankosi, umphatha-wenkosi (Zulu)
Family: Loganiaceae

Strychnos decussata is a handsome tree for the garden with an attractive shape....

01 / 12 / 2008 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Sphenostylis angustifolia

Sphenostylis angustifolia showing handedness
Common names: wild sweet-pea (Eng.); wilde-ertjie (Afr.)
Family: Fabaceae

Sphenostylis angustifolia, or the wild sweet-pea, is a lovely green perennial shrublet with an extensive woody rootstock that decorates the Highveld with...

01 / 12 / 2008 | Alicia Grobler | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Euryops annuus

Euryops annuus flower
Common names: harpuisbos, kora (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

After good winter rains, Euryops annuus transforms the barren plains of the Tanqua Karoo into fields of yellow, dainty flowers. The plants of this genus...

24 / 11 / 2008 | Beate Hölscher | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Crassula perfoliata var. minor

Crassula perfoliata var. minor in flower at Kirstenbosch NBG
Common names: sickle-leaf red crassula, Eastern Cape red crassula (Eng.); sekelblaarplakkie (Afr.)
Family: Crassulaceae

Crassula perfoliata var. minor is an attractive summer-flowering succulent with greyish-green, sickle-shaped leaves and red flowers in summer....

24 / 11 / 2008 | Ernst van Jaarsveld | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Streptocarpus cooksonii

Streptocarpus cooksonii
Family: Gesneriaceae

Unlike most other Streptocarpus species, this spectacular plant seems to enjoy the heat and strong light conditions found in the Tugela and Buffalo Rivers...

17 / 11 / 2008 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Leucadendron album

Leucadendron album female cone
Common names: linear-leaf conebush (Eng.); aarbeisilwertolbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

An unusual conebush, with its velvety silver foliage, Leucadendron album is a striking mountain fynbos shrub....

17 / 11 / 2008 | Monique Mcquillan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica caffra

Erica caffra flowers
Common names: water heath, sweet-scented heath (Eng.); water-heide (Afr.)
Family: Ericaceae

When walking along a stream or near a wetland on a warm day in spring or early summer, a strong sweet smell is sometimes the first indication that one...

10 / 11 / 2008 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Asparagus falcatus

Asparagus falcatus creeper
Common names: large forest asparagus, thorny creeper, sicklethorn, yellowwood asparagus (Eng.); doringtou (Afr.); imblekazana (isiZulu); ubulawu (isiXhosa)
Family: Asparagaceae

Asparagus falcatus is a robust thorny creeper that has attractive white flowers and red berries and will easily double as a safety hedge against unwanted...

10 / 11 / 2008 | Bernard Brown | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Diospyros austro-africana

Dispyros austro-africana tree
Common names: fire-sticks, star-apple (Eng.); kritikom, jakkalsbos, vuurmaakbossie, kraaibessie (Afr.); liperekisi-tsa-makhoaba, senokonoko (South Sotho), umbhongis
Family: Ebenaceae

Diospyros austro-africana is a beautiful indigenous shrub or small tree that bears little cream, pink and even red lantern-like flowers. Not only attractive...

03 / 11 / 2008 | Luambo David Rambuwani | Free State NBG
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Pentarrhinum insipidum

Pentarrhinum insipidum
Common names: African heartvine (Eng.), donkieperske, hondepisbossie, opklim, wildekomkommer (Afr.), aulana, furana (Ndebele), umulugwe (Ndebele), leswa (Sotho)
Family: Apocynaceae

The leaves, stems and fruit of Pentarrhinum insipidum are widely eaten throughout Africa. It is an important wild vegetable and has the potential to be...

27 / 10 / 2008 | Stoffel Petrus Pieter Bester | Pretoria NBG
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