Plants of the Week

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

Ixia mostertii

Flowers of Ixia mostertii
Common names: there are no recorded common names for this plant. It is one of the extremely rare species in the genus Ixia and has not been well collected.
Family: Iridaceae

Rare and threatened species are always attractive to most people interested in plants. Ixia mostertii is a strikingly beautiful plant that is...

21 / 08 / 2006 | Ismail Ebrahim | CREW
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Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. grandiflora

Flower showing vertical anthers and style  to one side
Common names: Cape buttercup, sparaxis (Eng.); botterblom, ferweel, ferweeltjie, fluweeltjie, perskalkoentjie, perskalossie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Sparaxis grandiflora is indeed an attractive species and it is not surprising that it was introduced to Kew Gardens as early as 1758. However, as Du Plessis...

14 / 08 / 2006 | Caitlin Von Witt | CREW
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Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi

Cones emerging
Common names: white-haired cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

Although Encephalartos friderici-guilielmi experiences harsh growing conditions in its natural habitat, it is very adaptable to different climatic conditions....

14 / 08 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Erica lowryensis

Erica lowryensis
Common names: Sir Lowry's Pass heath
Family: Ericaceae

Like so many jewels of the fynbos, one has to be prepared to walk and climb to view this pretty erica which grows on the mountain ranges of the Kogelberg...

07 / 08 / 2006 | Berenice Carolus | Harold Porter NBG
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Adenandra gummifera

Adenandra gummifera
Common names: Potberg china flower, gummy china flower (Eng.); Potberg-porseleinblom (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

A beautiful, aromatic, fynbos shrub with showy white porcelain-like flowers in winter and spring....

07 / 08 / 2006 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Notobubon capense

Flowers attract insects
Common names: bush parsley ( Eng. ); bergseldery (Afr.)
Family: Apiaceae

Although it belongs to the family containing edible members such as the carrot, and the herbs fennel and dill, this particular species would not find its...

31 / 07 / 2006 | Jane Forrester | Harold Porter NBG
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Lachenalia bulbifera

Lachenalia bulbifera
Common names: red lachenalia (Eng.); rooinaeltjie (Afr.)
Family: Hyacinthaceae

One of the most striking and robust members of this diverse group, Lachenalia bulbifera is an easily grown bulbous plant that really deserves...

31 / 07 / 2006 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Struthiola ciliata

Flowers
Common names: evening gonna, lax gonna, the lady that passes by in the night (Eng.); stroopbossie, juffertjie-roer-by-die-nag, aandgonna, slapgonna (Afr.)
Family: Thymelaeaceae

This pretty ericoid shrublet is common in the Western Cape and makes a rewarding garden plant as it flowers all year round. It produces slender plumes...

24 / 07 / 2006 | Tsepang Makholela | Pretoria NBG
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Agathosma glabrata

Agathosma glabrata
Common names: sand buchu, lemon-scented buchu (Eng.); sandboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

The bright mauve to purple flowers of Agathosma glabrata, commonly known as sand buchu, are an eye-catcher in any garden. Buchus are identified by the...

24 / 07 / 2006 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Monochoria africana

Monochoria africana as painted by Gill Condy in Flowering Plants of Africa. Copyright Gill Condy
Common names: there are no known common names for this rather rare plant
Family: Pontederiaceae

Next time you go to the Kruger National Park, try to spot Monochoria africana, one of the most beautiful, rare, indigenous aquatic plants in...

17 / 07 / 2006 | R Glen | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Leucadendron tinctum

Leucadendron tinctum display
Common names: spicy conebush ( Eng. ); toffie-appel (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

An attractive, scented, bushy shrub of the Proteaceae family, Leucadendron tinctum makes a delightful display in a fynbos garden....

17 / 07 / 2006 | Monique Twine | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea lepidocarpodendron

Protea Lepidocarpodendron on St James Peak
Common names: Black-bearded Protea, Black-bearded Sugarbush, Black Protea ( Eng. ), Swartbaardsuikerbos (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Not as eye-catching as many of its relatives, this lovely protea has hairy, black and cream-white flowerheads that peek out through the dense foliage like...

10 / 07 / 2006 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe falcata

Aloe falcata growing in habitat
Common names: Vanrhynsdorp aloe
Family: Asphodelaceae

...

10 / 07 / 2006 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Encephalartos paucidentatus

Graceful cycad
Common names: Barberton cycad
Family: Zamiaceae

The graceful crown of dark green glossy leaves, vigorous growth and strong stem of Encephalartos paucidentatus makes this one of the most striking of...

03 / 07 / 2006 | John Winter | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Aloe comosa

Aloe comosa in habitat
Common names: Clanwilliam aloe
Family: Asphodelaceae

Aloe comosa is a striking, single-stemmed, summer-flowering aloe that is hardly known in cultivation....

03 / 07 / 2006 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Sideroxylon inerme

Foliage and flower buds  of Sideroxylon inerme
Common names: white milkwood ( Eng. ); witmelkhout, melkhoutboom, melkbessie (Afr.); aMasethole, umQwashu (Xhosa); aMasethole-amhlope, uMakhwela-fingqane (Zulu)
Family: Sapotaceae

...

26 / 06 / 2006 | Freddie Bosman | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cordyla africana

Flowers
Common names: sunbird tree (Eng.); wildemango (Afr.); iGowane-elikhulu, umbhone (Zulu)
Family: Fabaceae

Did you know that Africa has its own mango? Although the fruit is not as big and tasty as the exotic one and it belongs to a different family, it is extremely...

26 / 06 / 2006 | Jean Meyer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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Encephalartos longifolius

Encephalartos longifolius growing in the wild.
Common names: Thunberg's cycad, Suurberg cycad (Eng.); Suurbergbroodboom (Afr.)
Family: Zamiaceae

Encephalartos longifolius and E. caffer were the first cycads to be scientifically recorded in South Africa as long ago as 1772. During...

19 / 06 / 2006 | D Bosenberg | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Empleurum unicapsulare

Empleurum unicapsulare
Common names: false buchu, river buchu (Eng.); bergboegoe, wildeboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

Empleurum unicapsulare is a single-stemmed, evergreen shrub, which has a similar growth habit to a willow tree. It slender and upright growth form with...

19 / 06 / 2006 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Moraea polystachya

Moraea polystachya
Common names: bloutulp, kraai-uintjie (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

Pretty but dangerous (to live-stock, that is)! In a good year, usually in autumn, the large, deep blue to violet or occasionally white, iris-like flowers...

12 / 06 / 2006 | Clare Archer | National Herbarium Pretoria
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