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Needle-leaf Conebushes - Leucadendrons


Ridgecone Conebush - Leucadendron comosum comosum

Female
Ridgecone Conebush - Photo: David Osborne Habit: An erect shrub up to 1.7m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: October - November
Pollinator: Small beetles
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Not rare, dense stands occur
Habitat: Montane on sandstone soils, 600-1400m
Distribution: Langeberg, Outeniqua, Kouga Mountains, Swartberg, Touwsberg, Rooiberg

Villiersdorp Ridgecone Conebush - Leucadendron comosum homaeophyllum

Female
Villiersdorp Ridgecone Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: An erect shrub up to 1.7m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: December
Pollinator: Small beetles
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Very rare, thought to be extinct until recently rediscovered
Habitat: Montane on sandstone soils, 600-1000m
Distribution: Stettynskloof Mountains and Du Toits Kloof

Silver-ball Conebush - Leucadendron muirii

Female Male
Silver-ball Conebush - Photo: Tony Rebelo Silver-ball Conebush - Photo: Tony Rebelo Habit: An erect shrub up to 2m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: November - December
Pollinator: Small beetles
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Not rare, extensive populations occur
Habitat: Limestone soils, 0-200m
Distribution: Elim, Bredasdorp and Riversdale Flats

Climax Conebush - 'Leucadendron climacticum'

Female Male
Climax Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Climax Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: An erect shrub up to 2m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: Not known
Pollinator: Probably small beetles
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Rare, only one population known
Habitat: Montane on north sandstone soils, 1300m
Distribution: Riviersonderend Mountains
Note: This is the Protea Atlas Project's 8th newly discovered species.

Karoo Conebush - Leucadendron nobile

Female Male
Karoo Conebush - Photo: David Osborne Karoo Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: An erect shrub up to 4m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: December
Pollinator: Small beetles
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: A few isolated populations
Habitat: Gravelly or sandy soils, 760-1000m
Distribution: Kouga, Baviaanskloof and Willowmore Mountains

Laingsburg Conebush - Leucadendron osbornei

Female Male David Osborne
Laingsburg Conebush - Photo: David Osborne Laingsburg Conebush - Photo: David Osborne David Osborne
Habit: Shrub to 3m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: October
Pollinator: Small beetles
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Not threatened, often in dense communities
Habitat: Sandy soils, 800-1600m
Distribution: Elandsberg, Anysberg, Touwsberg &
Matjiesgoedberg in the Little Karoo

Plate-seed Conebush - Leucadendron platyspermum

Female Male
Plate-seed Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Plate-seed Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: An erect shrub up to 1.7m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: December
Pollinator: Wind
Fruit: Stored on plant, not released after fire but fruit push themselves out of the cone after germinating after the autumn rains following a fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Vulnerable, due to flower picking and agriculture
Habitat: Sandy and shale soils, 0-1350m
Distribution: Donkerhoekberg near Villiersdorp, Groenland and Kleinmond Mountains from Houhoek to Elim Flats

Needle-leaf Conebush - Leucadendron teretifolium

Female Male
Needle-leaf Conebush - Photo: David Osborne Needle-leaf Conebush - Photo: David Osborne Habit: A shrub up to 1m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: August - September
Pollinator: Wind
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind - seeds winged
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Not threatened, occurs in dense stands
Habitat: Bokkeveld and Witteberg derived soils, 0-1350m
Distribution: Elim Flats, Klein River Mountains, Riversonderend Mountains, Potberg, Bonteberg, Witteberg, Waboomsberg and Langeberg

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