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Roughleaf Sugarbush Agulhasaardroos - Protea aspera
The Roughleaf Sugarbush is easy to overlook. Unlike the spectacular larger Sugarbushes, this species has underground stems, inconspicuous leaves and flowers only occasionally. The Dwarftufted Sugarbushes, of which it is a member, all have these features, with the rough (sandpapery) leaves borne in tufts on the ground. The Roughleaf Sugarbush is, however, common in the Agulhas region. It is only really noticed after a fire, when the leaves sprout forth on the burned earth after the winter rains from the underground stems. Even then, it does not flower prolifically. Rather, several years after a fire it half-heartedly produces a few flowerheads, mainly in winter or spring. Little is known about the pollination of these species. Probably birds and rats both play a role, visiting the flowerheads for the nectar and transporting pollen in the process. Seeds are stored for a while in the seedheads, but again, they are soon released. All the emphasis seems to be in the underground stems, which allow the plants to survive fires. This is a species that likes lots of fires. Even when other Fynbos species are eliminated by too-frequent fires, it will be happy.