Protea Atlas Logo
  Home
  Mission
  Overview of Project
  Project Staff
  Sponsors
  Achievements
  Checking, Illustrations
  Upcoming Activities
  Id and  Species Lists
  Protea Information
  Protea Gallery
  Growing Proteas
  Interim Dist. Maps
  Publications
  Afrikaanse Inligting

  SANBI

Proteas of East Africa


Kenya, Tanzania and the Rift Valley as modified from Brummit and Marner.

1. Shrubs or trees, stems branched , taller than 1.5 m goto 2

1' Multistemmed shrubs, stems mostly unbranched, usually less than 1.5 m tall goto 11

2. Tepal limb hairless (or with very few hairs at base) goto 3

2' Tepal limb with long shaggy hairs (when young - may be confined to tip in old, open flowers) goto 5

3. Leaf stalked, 10-40 mm wide Pr petiolaris

3' Leaf stalkless, if stalked then 30-110 mm wide goto 4

4. Leaf 25-110 mm wide, tepal claw more hairy than limb Pr madiensis

4' Leaf 12-36 mm wide, tepal claw as hairy as limb Pr caffra

5. Bract mainly hairless, sometimes hairy at base goto 6

5' Bract densely hairy, sometimes aging to hairless at tip goto 9

6. Leaf 20-40 mm wide, 3-5 X longer than wide goto 7

6' Leaf 13-27 mm wide, 4-12 X longer than wide goto 8

7. Bract and tepal pink to red, flowerhead funnel-shaped Pr rubrobracteata

7' Bract green to pink, flowerhead opening to bowl-shaped, tepal white Pr wentzeliana

8. Tepal limb 11-16 mm long, leaf 3-6 X longer than wide, bract open to horizontal Pr caffra

8' Tepal limb 17-31 mm long, leaf 5-12 X longer than broad, bract collapsing on opening Pr rupestris

9. Leaf hairless and often glaucous, tepal limb 18-39 mm long Pr angolensis

9' Leaf hairless, 5-10 X longer than wide, tepal limb 8-25 mm long Pr gaguedi

9" Leaf 1.5-6 X longer than wide, hairy when young goto 10

10. Bract and tepal limb with rusty-brown-orange, dense-short hairs, leaf hairy but hairs not curly Pr welwitschii

10' Bract and tepal limb with long grey hairs, leaf with minute curly hairs Go back to 7 (do not pass go)

11. Tepal limb 14-30 mm long goto 12

11' Tepal limb 4.5-14 mm long goto 14

12. Leaf 20-60 mm wide, hairless Pr angolensis

12' Leaf 8-25 mm wide, hairy when young goto 13

13. Stem with soft hairs pressed flat, aging to hairless, with 2-3 years leaves on stem Pr baumii

13' Stem annual, with long spreading hairs Pr micans

14. Flowerhead 30-45 mm across, tepal 15-20 mm long goto 15

14' Flowerhead 40-110 mm across, tepal 25-60 mm long goto 16

15.Stem, leaf, bract & tepal limb hairy Pr heckmanniana

15.Stem, leaf, bract & tepal limb hairless Pr linearifolia

16. Bracts nearly hairless except for fringes goto 17

16' Bracts with flat-pressed hairs, becoming patchy goto 20

17. Leaf 3 mm wide, linear, stems vertical Pr kibarensis

17' Leaf 6-55 mm wide, stems creeping to erect goto 18

18. Stem erect, 0.6-1.3 m tall, lasting three years, tepals white Pr wentzeliana

18' Stems creeping or erect, up to 0.4 m long, annual, tepals mainly pink goto 19

19. Leaf 2-5 X longer than wide, flower 30 mm long, tepal claw 10 mm long, almost hairless Pr praticola

19' Leaf 4-11 X longer than wide, flower 30-40 mm long, tepal claw 15-25 mm long, shaggy haired Pr humifusa

20. Tepal pink Pr micans

20' Tepal white goto 21

21. Leaf 10-20 mm wide, stem annual, 0.3-0.9 m long Pr micans

21' Leaf 20-55 mm wide, stem lasting three years, 0.6-1.6 m long Pr wentzeliana

Remember to check your identification against a species description or herbarium specimen before accepting the name given by any key


Back Keys