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Identifying Proteaceae 8. The Bearded Proteas

Protea Atlas LogoThe Bearded Proteas (Protea section Speciosae) are most easily identified from other Protea species by their "beards" which comprise long hairs on the upper tips of the outer surface of the involucral bracts. Many proteas have a fringe of hairs on their margin - these are not considered a beard, nor are the short, curly white hairs on the entire outer bracts of many other proteas (e.g. sections Protea, Paracynaroides, Patentiflorae and Lasiocephalae). In common with some other proteas, Bearded Proteas tend to have awns on the tips of the tepals. In Pr magnifica these are much longer on the inner florets forming a cone (also called - very confusingly - a beard).

Another characteristic feature of Bearded Proteas is that the tepals do not fall down into the inflorescence when the florets open. Rather they remain erect so that the styles are always hidden within the inflorescence. (Pr longifolia and Pr pudens also do this).

Although difficult to express in words the leaves of Bearded Proteas are also different from other sections in the genus. Firstly they are larger than most, and they are not as symmetric as the smaller leaves of the White and Penduline Proteas. However, they may be confused with certain members of the Spoon-bract proteas.

Listed overleaf are features helpful in identifying species within the bearded proteas. Although all species are easily identified by their blossoms, atlassers will often encounter plants with only seed heads or without buds, blossoms or seed heads. Thus ancillary features are provided.

It is at once apparent from the table below that there are (with a few minor exceptions) two groups within the Bearded Proteas. Those with:

* crispy-haired young branches; straight leaf margins; three anthers; recurved, splitting basal involucral bracts; and seed heads with florets exposed: Pr laur, lori, neri, lepi; and,

* long-haired young branches; wavy leaf margins; four anthers; clasping, non-splitting basal involucral bracts; and seed heads in which the bracts hide the florets:

Pr magn, holo, stok, spec, gran, coro.

Character

laur

lori

neri

lepi

magn

holo

gran

stok

spec

coro

caes

Young branches long haired (often lost with age):

        

A

A

  

A

A

A

A

crispy haired (when young, lost with age):

B

B

B

B

              

hairless:

            

C

        

Leaf shape: margins parallel:

    

D

D

              

widest at middle:

E

      

E

E

E

        

widest at top:

  

F

    

F

  

F

F

F

  

F

widest at bottom

        

G

        

G

  

Leaf bases: tapering with a stalk

H

H

                  

tapering without a stalk

    

I

(I)

I

I

I

I

I

  

I

lobed

      

J

    

J

    

J

  

Leaf margins: straight

K

K

K

K

      

K

      

wavy

        

L

L

L

  

L

L

L

Leaf colour: glaucous (grey wax covering)

*

*

(*)

  

*

*

*

        

green

    

*

*

      

*

*

*

*

Beard colour: silver-white

*

*

*

  

*

  

*

    

*

*

black

*

  

*

*

*

*

          

purple

            

*

        

purple-brown

  

*

                  

brown

        

*

    

*

*

  

*

Bract colour: pink

*

*

*

*

*

    

*

      

cream

*

*

*

*

*

*

    

*

  

*

brown

  

*

                  

apple-green

                  

*

  

red

            

*

        

Awn colour: silver-white

*

*

  

*

    

*

*

*

*

  

black

*

        

*

      

*

  

purple-black

  

*

                

*

purple

            

*

        

brown

    

*

                

white outer/black inner

        

*

            

Awns on fused tepals: 3 equal

  

M

          

M

  

M

M

2 long, central short

N

  

N

N

N

  

N

  

N

    

2 long, central almost absent

          

O

          

Anthers 3 (one reduced to sterile stalk):

P

P

P

P

P

            

4 (one per tepal):

          

Q

Q

Q

Q

Q

Q

Style: minutely hairy at base or lower end:

R

R

R

R

R

R

  

R

R

  

R

hairless along entire length:

            

S

    

S

  

Basal involucral bracts: recurved and splitting

T

T

T

T

T

            

clasping and non-splitting

  

U

      

U

U

U

U

U

U

Seed head: open with florets exposed

V

  

V

V

              

florets hidden beneath involucral bracts

            

W

W

W

W

  

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