Protea Atlas Logo
  Home
  Mission
  Overview of Project
  Project Staff
  Sponsors
  Achievements
  Checking, Illustrations
  Upcoming Activities
  Id and  Species Lists
  Protea Information
  Protea Gallery
  Growing Proteas
  Interim Dist. Maps
  Publications
  Afrikaanse Inligting

  SANBI

IDM Cape Peninsula - Silky-hair Pincushion Leucospermum vestitum


A solid black dot indicates where the species is found.

Leucospermum vestitum - Silky-hair Pincushion once occurred at Sea Point (Greenpoint above Menzies Estate) and Tamboorskloof. It was last recorded growing in Cape Town in 1886.

Ls vest forms a small tree to 3m tall - it is certainly impossible to think of any plants escaping detection. It differs from Ls conocarporrdendron by having a flowerhead similar in appearance to the commercially important The Pincushion - Ls cordifolium, and so is unlikely to be confused with any of the other Peninsula species of Pincushion.

Since the historical records are from the 50-150m altitude levels, there are few areas of suitable habitat left within Cape Town to re-establish the species. These areas would also need to be burned properly at suitable intervals - no areas suffiently far from houses exists, except perhaps at the Noon Day Gun or rubbish dump.

Leucospermum vestitum Distribution

Back Cape Peninsula Interim Distribution Maps