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Silver Conebushes - Leucadendrons


Linear-leaf Conebush - Leucadendron album

Female Male
Linear-leaf Conebush - Photo: NBI Collection Linear-leaf Conebush - Photo: Bert Bongers Habit: Shrub up to 2m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: December
Pollinator: Wind
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind, has a rotochute
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Not threatened, locally abundant
Habitat: Well drained sandstone slopes, 1100-2000m
Distribution: Swartberg and Langeberg, Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains from Swellendam to Uitenhage

Silver Tree Conebush - Leucadendron argenteum

Female
Silver Tree - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: Erect tree up to 10m tall
Fire survival: Usually killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: September
Pollinator: Small beetles (smells like root beer)
Fruit: Stored on plant, some released in hot weather
Seed dispersal: Wind, has a rotochute
Seed storage: In cones on plant, and also in soil - up to 30 years
Rarity status: Rare - possibly a Cape Peninsula endemic
Habitat: Granite clays 100-150m
Distribution: Table Mountain from Platteklip to Noordhoek. Non-peninsula stands probably planted

Summit Conebush - Leucadendron dregei

Female
Summit Conebush - Photo: David Osborne Habit: A sprawling shrub up to 0.6m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: November - December
Pollinator: Small beetles
Fruit: Stored on plant, some released in hot weather
Seed dispersal: Wind, has a rotochute
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Rare, grows slowly and is being burned too frequently
Habitat: Southern slopes near summits 1500-2000m
Distribution: Swartberg from Touwsberg to Meiringspoort

Spinningtop Conebush - Leucadendron rubrum

Female Male
Spinningtop Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Spinningtop Conebush - Photo: Nigel Forshaw Habit: Shrub up to 2.5m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Flowers of one sex on separate plants
Flowers: August - September
Pollinator: Wind
Fruit: Stored on plant, released after fire
Seed dispersal: Wind, has a rotochute
Seed storage: In cones on female plants
Rarity status: Not threatened, often in dense stands
Habitat: Dry slopes on granite or sandstone, 250-1500m
Distribution: Bokkeveld, Gifberg, Cederberg to Hottentots Hollands and Riversonderend Mountains, Touwsberg, Rooiberg, Kammanassie Mountains, Piketberg, Table Mountain, Cape Flats

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