Proteas of the Summer Rainfall Region, South Africa
Regions designated as follows:
D = Drakensberg and foothills (n/s =
north/south of Majuba)
H = Highveld
L = Lowveld and Coastal Forelands (c =
Cape only)
Faurea BEECHES
1. Habitat high altitude mist belts.
Inflorescences 80-100 mm long. Florets stalked. Leaves 25 mm
broad. Usually shrublike in habit, up to 10 m tall. Fa
galpinii FOREST BEECH Dn
1' Habitat forests and forest margins.
Inflorescences 160 mm long. Leaves 25-30mm broad. A tree to 25m
tall. Fa macnaughtonii TERBLANZ BEECH DL
1" Habitats variable: bushveld and
escarpment. Trees 4-10 m tall goto 2
2. Inflorescences 250-300 mm long.
Leaves 25-60 mm broad, stalk short and thick, underside
densely velvety when young. Fa rochetiana BROAD-LEAF
BEECH Dn
2' Inflorescences 120-150 mm long.
Florets not stalked. Leaves 13-20 mm broad, stalk 20 mm long.
Fa saligna TRANSVAAL BEECH HL
Leucadendron
CONEBUSHES.
1. Fruit trigonal, less than 5mm wide
(section Trigona), released after two months. Plants killed by
fire, erect with a single basal stem. Ld pondoensis
PONDOLAND TRIGOSPERM CONEBUSH Lc
1' Fruit winged, greter than 5mm wide
(section Alata), stored in cones on plant. Plants resprouting
with multiple stems. Ld spissifolium SPEAR-LEAF CONEBUSH
goto 2
2. Leaves 8mm broad, oblanceolate,
similar in both sexes. Conspicuous involucre of acute,
ivory-white bracts surrounds male heads Ld spissifolium
natalensis NATAL SPEAR-LEAF CONEBUSH L
2' Leaves narrow, 3mm/4mm broad,
curved like a sickle. Involucre of bracts indistinct from
stem leaves in male plants Ld spissifolium oribinum
ORIBI SPEAR-LEAF CONEBUSH L
Leucospermum
PINCUSHIONS
1. Pollen presenter narrowly conical,
indistinct from style goto 2
1' Pollen presenter broadly conical,
distinct from style goto 3
2. Leaves distinctly veined. Plants
mat-like, to 0.4 m tall, with many stems from a rootstock. Ls
gerrardii SOBOLIFEROUS CYLINDRIC PINCUSHION DnL
2' Leaves smooth. Stems erect to 2
m, many arising from a rootstock. Ls saxosum
ESCARPMENT CYLINDRIC PINCUSHION Dn
3. Leaves 6-30 mm wide, 3-10
toothed. Stems bases covered with warts, many arising from
rootstock. Ls cuneiforme WART-STEMMED CYLINDRIC
PINCUSHION Lc
3' Leaves 30-50 mm wide, 7-10
toothed. Stem bases smooth, many arising from a rootstock. Ls
innovans TRANSKEI CYLINDRIC PINCUSHION L
Protea
SUGARBUSHES
1. Inflorescences wine glass-shaped,
involucral bracts erect with most of inner surface hidden during
flowering goto 2
1' Inflorescences bowl-shaped,
involucral bracts splayed to nearly horizontal with much of the
inner surfaces clearly visible during flowering goto 4
2. Inner involucral bracts bearded,
slightly spoon-shaped (section Speciosae). Leaves 120-250mm
long, grey, with a 10-15mm long stalk. Pr lorifolia
STRAP-LEAF BEARDED SUGARBUSH Lc
2' Inner involucral bracts oval, not
spoon-shaped nor bearded (section Exertae), curving outwards
at the tips. Heads small: 50-70 mm long. Leaves 50-110 mm
long, green. Pr subvestita LIPPED WHITE SUGARBUSH D
2" Inner involucral bracts
spoon-shaped, not bearded (section Ligulatae). Leaves 80-170
mm long, silver-haired or green-hairless, tightly clustered
at ends of branches, no stalk. Pr roupelliae SILVER
SPOON-BRACT SUGARBUSH goto 3
3. Plant erect, 3-8 m tall, with
a single trunk. Pr roupelliae roupelliae SILVER
SPOON-BRACT SUGARBUSH HDL
3' Plant sprawling, forming mats
to 0.3 m tall (single-stemmed, not resprouting). Pr
roupelliae hamiltonii DWARF SILVER SPOON-BRACT
SUGARBUSH Dn
4. Stems hairless goto 6
4' Stems hairy when young, maturing
to sparsely hairy goto 5
5. SAVANNA SUGARBUSHES (Section
Lasiocephalae).
5' Involucral bracts with rusty-brown
hairs on outer surface. Leaves hairy, occ. maturing to nearly
hairless with hairs on midrib. Flowerheads often in clusters of
2-5. Otherwise very variable. Pr welwitzchii DWARF
SAVANNA SUGARBUSH HL
5" Involucral bracts with silvery
hairs on outer surface. Leaves slightly hairy when young,
maturing to hairless, occ. deciduous. Flowerheads usually
solitary. Otherwise very variable Pr gaguedi AFRICAN
SAVANNA SUGARBUSH HDn
6. Shrub or tree, 1-8m tall, erect or
multi-stemmed from an underground rootstock. Inflorescence
medium-sized: style 40-60mm long. Leaves variable: 70-250mm long,
4-45mm wide. Involucral bracts white, cream, pink or red, short
silvery-hairs
6' Small shrubs less than 1m tall
(rarely to 1.5m: Pr drac), multi- or single-stemmed (Pr
nubi). Inflorescences small: styles 20-40mm long (45-60mm: Pr
drac) goto 7
6" Large shrubs or trees greater
than 2m tall (occ. 1m: Pr rubr), single-stemmed when
mature (multi-stemmed in Pr laet). Inflorescences large:
60-80mm long (50-55mm: Pr laet) goto 9
7. GRASSVELD SUGARBUSHES (Section
Leiocephalae).
7' Plant erect, highly branched from
a single trunk. Leaves 40-60mm long, 7-13mm wide.
Inflorescences small: styles 35-40mm long. Pr nubigena
CLOUD GRASSVELD SUGARBUSH Ds
7" Plants resprouting from a
lignotuber, multi-stemmed. Leaves 60-140 mm long goto 8
8. Inflorescence medium-sized:
style 45-60mm long. Leaves 25-45mm wide. Stems erect,
unbranched, 5-10mm diam. Pr dracomontana ALPINE
GRASSVELD SUGARBUSH Ds
8' Inflorescence small: style
20-40mm long. Leaves 7-30mm wide. Stems erect, usually
unbranched, 2-5mm diam. Pr simplex DWARF
GRASSVELD SUGARBUSH D(H)L
8" Inflorescence small:
style 30-35mm long. Leaves 5-20mm wide, secund (pointing
upwards). Stems creeping, rarely erect, often branched,
2-4mm diam. Pr parvula DAINTY GRASSVELD
SUGARBUSH HDn
9. MOUNTAIN SUGARBUSHES (Section
Patentiflorae).
9' Outer involucral bracts densely
hairy goto Y
9" Outer involucral bracts
hairless. Trees 4-8 m tall goto Z
Y. Inflorescences large: style
60-70mm long. Leaves 30-65mm wide. Single-stemmed.
Involucral bracts densely covered in a thick brown layer
of hairs. Petal tips white-haired. Pr rubropilosa
TRANSVAAL MOUNTAIN SUGARBUSH Dn
Y' Inflorescence medium-sized:
style 50-55mm long. Leaves 15-35mm wide. Usually with 2-6
stems arising from a rootstock. Involucral bracts densely
covered in fine silver-white or rusty hairs. Petal tips
tawny-haired. Pr laetans BLYDE MOUNTAIN
Z. Inflorescences large: style
65-80mm long. Leaves 25-50mm wide, occ. slightly curved,
deep green, very woody. Involucral bracts greenish-white.
Pr comptonii SADDLEBACK MOUNTAIN SUGARBUSH D
Z' Inflorescences large: style
60-65mm long. Leaves 8-16mm wide, sickle-shaped,
grass-green. Involucral bracts deep red/black Pr
curvata BARBERTON MOUNTAIN SUGARBUSH Dn
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