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Stalkless Spiderheads - Serrurias


Bottlebrush Spiderhead - Serruria brownii
Bottlebrush Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: Erect shrub up to 0.5m tall
Fire survival:
Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: June - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Endangered due to agriculture, alien acacias and grazing
Habitat: Granite soils, shales and heavy sands, 50-250m
Distribution: Flats from Hopefield to Cape Town

Swartkop Spiderhead - Serruria hirsuta
Swartkop Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: Erect shrub up to 0.5m tall
Fire survival:
Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Rare, known from a single population but threatened by housing developments
Habitat: Sandstone soils, 360-470m
Distribution: Southern Cape Peninsula above Simonstown

Milleleaf Spiderhead - Serruria millefolia
Milleleaf Spiderhead - Photo: NBI Collection Habit: Erect shrub up to 0.5m tall
Fire survival:
Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: August - December
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Vulnerable due to agriculture, scattered to dense colonies occur
Habitat: Sands, 350-800m
Distribution: Sandveld from Bokkeveld escarpment to Olifants River Mountains

Clandestine Spiderhead - Serruria rebeloi

Clandestine Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Clandestine Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw
Habit: Low sprawling shrub to 0.2m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: September - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Rare
Habitat: Sandy soils, 200m
Distribution: Bredasdorp Mountains above Napier
Notes: The sixth new species to be discovered by the
Protea Atlas Project. It has the smallest flowers in the genus

Golden Spiderhead - Serruria villosa
Golden Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: Erect shrub to 0.5m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: April - July
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Although restricted in range it occurs in dense stands and is common
Habitat: Sandy soils, 0-350m
Distribution: Cape Peninsula south of Constantia

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