Plants of the Week

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E.g., 02/12/2024
E.g., 02/12/2024

Muraltia scoparia

Muraltia scoparia
Common names: tortoise berry, dune berry (Eng.); skilpadbessie, duinebessie (Afr.)
Family: Polygalaceae

Identifying the species Muraltia spinosa and M. scoparia (formerly in the genus Nylandtia) using herbarium material only, can be misleading, as the habit...

07 / 11 / 2005 | Christien Bredenkamp | Pretoria NBG
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Muraltia spinosa

Muraltia spinosa
Common names: tortoise berry (Eng.); skilpadbessie, duinebessie, bokbessie (Afr.); mmaba (Tswana); cargoe (Nama)
Family: Polygalaceae

The tortoise berry is a striking plant when covered in its masses of dainty purple flowers. Attractive and unusual spiny foliage, pretty red edible fruits...

05 / 09 / 2005 | Cherise Viljoen | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Myrothamnus flabellifolius

Leaves. Image A dreyer
Common names: resurrection plant (Eng.); opstandingsplant (Afr.); uvukakwabafile (isiZulu); umazifisi (Ndebele)
Family: Myrothamnaceae

The leaves of the resurrection plant shrink and appear to be dead in the dry season, but miraculously turn green within a few minutes after exposure to...

18 / 11 / 2013 | Mandisa Kondlo | Walter Sisulu NBG
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Myrsine africana

Berries of M africana
Common names: Cape myrtle, African boxwood (Eng.); vlieëbos, mirting (Afr.); moroko-pheleu, semapo, sethakhisa, thakisa (Southern Sotho)?
Family: Myrsinaceae

This small shrub found in the wild from the Cape through tropical Africa to Asia, is a tough plant with attractive foliage and fruit, attracts birds and...

18 / 07 / 2005 | Liesl Van der Walt | Kirstenbosch NBG
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Mystacidium capense

Mystacidium capense
Common names: iphamba (Zulu)
Family: Orchidaceae

This delicate epiphytic orchid, a mini plant with maxi roots is covered in a mass of white flowers at the beginning of summer....

02 / 12 / 2002 | B Tarr | KwaZulu-Natal NBG
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Mystroxylon aethiopicum

Mystroxylon aethiopicum: Photo: Geoff Nichols
Common names: kooboo-berry, spoonwood (Eng.); koeboebessie, lepelboom, lepelhout (Afr.); umbomvane, umgxube, umnqayi (Xhosa); monamane (Northern Sotho); mukwatikwat
Family: Celastraceae

Mystroxylon aethiopicum is an attractive evergreen tree that is useful as an ornamental garden tree, planted as a hedge, in groups or solitary and...

10 / 10 / 2005 | Mhlonishwa D Dlamini | Walter Sisulu NBG
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