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Piketberg Spiderhead - Serruria "piketbergensis"
This is an undescribed species of Spiderhead. Its known distribution is the Piketberg and Olifantsrivierberg Mountains, but it may be more common. It is one of the Sandveld Pincushions (Sandveld Spinnekopbosse) and can be recognized by its flowerheads having smaller headlets and the flowers which are kinked. The Piketberg Spiderhead is the only local Spiderhead which resprouts and has brownish floral bracts. Being a resprouter it survives fires as an adult - in fact, it thrives under very frequent fires which eliminate the bigger proteas which shade it. We have very little data for this species - it seems to occur between 500 and 1200 m on deep sandy soils. It generally grows to only 200mm tall. We would like a good photograph of the Piketberg Spiderhead!