Plants of the Week

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

Erythrina caffra

Erythrina caffra (Alice Notten)
Common names: coast coral tree (Eng.); kuskoraalboom (Afr.); umsinsi (Zulu); umsintsi (Xhosa)
Family: Fabaceae

Erythrina is known as the red genus, and E. caffra is widely loved for its warm red to scarlet-coloured flowers, which appear from...

16 / 10 / 2006 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Streptocarpus johannis

Streptocarpus johannis
Common names: Port St Johns streptocarpus, Cape primrose
Family: Gesneriaceae

A rewarding pot plant with a cluster of whitish to pale violet, flat-faced summer flowers and soft green leaves, that can be grown indoors or in a sheltered...

09 / 10 / 2006 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Cyrtanthus macmasteri

C.macmasteri.  Image Cameron MacMaster
Family: Amaryllidaceae

Cyrtanthus macmasteri was described in 2003 after being found in 1994 by naturalist Cameron McMaster at the Bolo River Gorge in the Eastern Cape....

09 / 10 / 2006 | Suvarna Parbhoo | Pretoria NBG
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Lobostemon

Lobostemon fruticosus flowers
Common names: pajama bush
Family: Boraginaceae

This endemic genus, with numerous species of densely flowered, attractive shrubs, provides a splash of colour in the early spring, long before other popular...

02 / 10 / 2006 | M Buys | Compton Herbarium
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Greyia sutherlandii

Greyia sutherlandii in flower
Common names: glossy bottlebrush, mountain bottlebrush, Natal bottlebrush, wild bottlebrush, beacon tree (Eng.); blinkblaarbaakhout, Natalse baakhout (Afr.); isidw
Family: Melianthaceae

This is a most decorative plant and is becoming popular as an ornamental subject in gardens....

02 / 10 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Elytropappus rhinocerotis

This plant is now called Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis....

25 / 09 / 2006 | | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Freylinia longiflora

Freylinia longiflora
Common names: Elgin bell-bush, Elgin freylinia (Eng.); Grabou klokkiesbos (Afr.)
Family: Scrophulariaceae

This critically endangered shrub makes an attractive garden plant....

25 / 09 / 2006 | Trevor Adams | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Dicerothamnus rhinocerotis

Mature adult bush with many upright branches
Common names: rhinoceros bush, rhenoster bush (Eng.); renosterbos, rhenosterbos (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Although renosterbos is not showy or beautiful, it is an interesting and important component of our indigenous flora. It is the dominant member and the...

25 / 09 / 2006 | Nicola Bergh | Compton Herbarium
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Gazania krebsiana

Gazania krebsiana
Common names: terracotta gazania (Eng.); gousblom, botterblom, rooi gazania (Afr.)
Family: Asteraceae

Gazania krebsiana, previously known as Gazania pavonia, must be one of Namaqualand 's most well-known and striking perennial plants....

18 / 09 / 2006 | Werner Voigt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Drosanthemum micans

In flower
Common names: Robertson vygie
Family: Aizoaceae

Drosanthemum micans is a colourful spring flowering vygie (Afr.) that is a good choice for arid gardens across the country....

18 / 09 / 2006 | Ian Oliver | Karoo Desert NBG
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Agathosma gonaquensis

Agathosma gonaquensis
Common names: Gonaqua buchu (Eng.), Hottentotsboegoe (Afr.)
Family: Rutaceae

This leafy shrub is compact, low-growing and displays masses of white flowers during spring. The oil glands found on the leaves and fruit release a sweet...

11 / 09 / 2006 | Norma Jodamus | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Afzelia quanzensis

Seeds of A. quanzensis Photo: G Nichols
Common names: pod mahogany, lucky bean tree ( Eng. ); peulmahonie (Afr.); iNkehli (Zulu); Mambakofi (Swahili)
Family: Fabaceae

Afzelia quanzensis is a very attractive, medium-sized, deciduous tree, with bright green leaves that turn to an attractive yellowish colour in autumn....

11 / 09 / 2006 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Moraea elegans

Moraea elegans
Common names: poutulp (Afr.)
Family: Iridaceae

The striking yellow and orange flowers with variable bold markings, and its extreme ease of cultivation make this elegant spring-flowering species an essential...

04 / 09 / 2006 | Graham Duncan | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Balanites maughamii subsp. maughamii

Butressed trunk and bark
Common names: torchwood (Eng.); groendoring (Afr.); umnunu (Sotho); nulu (Tswana)
Family: Zygophyllaceae

Balanites maughamii is not well known in South Africa. The older trees have an amazing, upright, deeply folded or buttressed trunk, that visually...

04 / 09 / 2006 | K Behr | Pretoria NBG
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Securidaca longepedunculata

Flowers
Common names: violet tree, fibre tree (Eng.); krinkhout , rooipeultjie, seepbasboom (Afr.); mpesu (tshiVenda); mmaba (Tswana), iphuphuma (isiZulu)
Family: Polygalaceae

Securidaca longepeduculata is a slender tree with beautiful flowers. It is a highly regarded medicinal and magical tree, especially by the vhaVenda people...

28 / 08 / 2006 | Avhurengwi Phillemon Ndou | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Mimusops caffra

Fruit of Mimusops caffra
Common names: coast red milkwood (Eng.); kusrooimelkboom, moepel (Afr.); umhayihayi amasethole-abomvu, umthunzi, umnweba waselwandle, umnole, umagayi, umkhakhayi (Z
Family: Sapotaceae

Gardeners looking for a tree suitable for coastal gardens with windy conditions should not look any further-this tree is a good choice, particularly for...

28 / 08 / 2006 | Giles Mbambezeli | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Protea scolymocephala

Protea scolymocephala
Common names: thistle protea, thistle sugarbush, small green protea, scoly ( Eng. ); kleingroenroos, witskollie (Afr.)
Family: Proteaceae

Protea scolymocephala is a dainty shrub bearing abundant pink-tinged, creamy-green flowerheads in winter/spring, ideal for small gardens on the sandy...

21 / 08 / 2006 | Alice Notten | Kirstenbosch NBG
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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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