The golden yellow heads of Leucadendron, conebushes, are easy to identify, but the species can often be a challenge to separate. A key character in narrowing down the options is the size of the colourful leaves that surround the flowerhead. One of the species with comparatively large flowerheads is Leucadendron…
One of the rarest members of the Protea Family at Phillipskop is Paranomus sceptrum-gustavianus. The rather long and tortuous name refers to the patronage of King Gustav III of Sweden. The species, was originally described by Anders Sparrman as a Protea in 1777 and beautifully illustrated at the same time.…
The Prince of Wales Heath, Erica perspicua is a well-known and beautiful heather of the Kogelberg. It gets its name from the long-tubed hairy purple and white flowers that bear a resemblance to the Prince of Wales Feathers. Erica perspicua also grows in the Klein River Mountains but here it…
The common name Milkweed is often used for plants of the Apocynaceae family that produce milky sap. It is most frequently applied to members of the genus Asclepias. The genus Asclepias is a cosmopolitan genus that at different times has been split up into numerous smaller genera. Currently three species…
As plant names go, few can be as tautological as Erica ericoides. This name means the “heath that looks like a heath”; hardly the most enlightening of descriptions. The reason for this lack of imagination is because at one time the large Cape genus Erica was subdivided into many smaller…
February and March are the months for April Fools at Phillipskop. Or to be more helpful, they are the months when two different species, Haemanthus coccineus and Haemanthus sanguineus, come into flower. Both are commonly known as April Fools, though the name is not especially apt as they are frequently…
