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Shaving-bush Sugarbushes - Proteas

Clanwilliam Sugarbush - Protea glabra

Habit: A conical shrub up to 5m tall Fire survival: Resprouts from underground bole, but usually grows in fire safe sites Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower Flowers: July - November, mainly July - November Pollinator: Birds and beetles Fruit: Stored for a few years on plant Seed dispersal: Wind Seed storage: In seedheads on plant Rarity status: Not threatened, occurs in isolated populations Habitat: Shallow sandstone soils or in cracks in rock slabs, 500-1500m Distribution: Bokkeveld escarpment to Olifants River and Koue Bokkeveld

Large-nut Sugarbush - Protea inopina

Habit: A low multi-stemmed shrub up to 1m tall Fire survival: Resprouts from underground bole Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower Flowers: September - December Pollinator: Bird Fruit: Stored for a few years on plant Seed dispersal: Wind Seed storage: In seedheads on plant Rarity status: Rare, extremely isolated Habitat: Sandstone soils, 600-650m Distribution: Olifants River Mountains near Paleisheuwel

Wagon Tree, Waboom - Protea nitida

Habit: Tree up to 5m Fire survival: Resprouts from underground bole Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower Flowers: All year peaking from May - August Pollinator: Bird Fruit: Stored on plant Seed dispersal: Wind Seed storage: In seedheads on plant Rarity status: Not threatened Habitat: Varied on drier, lower slopes, 0-1200m Distribution: Widespread from Bokkeveld escarpment to Cape Peninsula to Winterhoek Mountains

This Wagon Tree - Protea nitida is one of the tallest known at 9m.  This photograph was taken in August 1998 in the southern Cedarberg in a forest of similar Wagon Trees

Wagon Tree, Waboom - Protea nitida dwarf

Habit: Shrub up to 1m tall up to 5m Fire survival: Resprouts from underground bole Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower Flowers: All year peaking from May - August Pollinator: Bird Fruit: Stored on plant Seed dispersal: Wind Seed storage: In seedheads on plant Rarity status: Not threatened Habitat: Varied on drier, lower slopes, 0-1200m Distribution: Widespread from Bokkeveld escarpment to Cape Peninsula to Winterhoek Mountains Notes: This is a dwarf version of Protea nitida.  It occurs at odd places throughout the distribition of the species.  It is not known to occur with the tree form.  The tree form always grows up through a transitional dwarf phase, but the dwarf form never becomes a tree.

Krantz Sugarbush - Protea rupicola

Habit: A much branched shrub up to 2m tall Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower Flowers: September - February Pollinator: Bird Fruit: Stored on plant Seed dispersal: Wind Seed storage: In seedheads on plant Rarity status: Rare, extremely localised near tops of mountains Habitat: High altitude sandstone summit ridges and rocky outcrops, 1300-2000m Distribution: Groot Winterhoek to Hottentots Holland Mountains, Langeberg and Swartberg to Winterhoek Mountains Notes: A fire refugee, unable to tolerate frequent burning due to a long maturation period

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