Proteas of Swaziland

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Proteas of Swaziland

Kate Braun has provided this "simultaneous key" for comparing characters in Swaziland proteas. The most useful feature of the key is that it rapidly allows one to identify the features that characterize the different species. Thus using the key, if you have a shrublet, with erect, unbranched stems you must have Pr simp. The plant must also have leaves not secund. A hairless-stemmed plant with large (> 70 mm long) flowerheads is probably Pr cptn.

FAUREA			galp	sali	macn	roch
Habitat	Usually shrub like tree		J
	Medium to tall trees			K	K	K
Height		Less than 5 m	K	m		m
		5 to 10 m	m	K	m	K
		Over 10 m			J
Leaves	Width	Less than 20 mm	m	J
		20 - 25 mm	K
		25 - 30 mm			K	K
		Over 30 mm				J
Leaves	Length	Less than 20 mm		K		m
		100 - 150 mm	K	K	m	K
		Over 150 mm			K	K
Spikes	Width	Less than 10 mm	J
(= flower heads)		20 - 30 mm		K	K
		Over 30 mm				J
Spikes	Length	Less than 100 mm	m			K
		100 - 150 mm	K	K	K	K
		Over 150 mm			m	K
Flowers	Stalked		J
(Florets)	Stalkless			K	K	K
Flowering time	August,September			K		K
	October, November		K	K
	Decem., January, February		K	K	K
	March - July				K
Fruit	grey hairs		K		K
	whitish-yellow hairs			J	J
Leaf stalk	Short and thick, underside densely hairy when young					J
	Stalk 20cm long			J

J = diagnostic, K = useful, m = occasionally present

PROTEA		caff	simp	parv	comp	gagu	welw	roup
Habit	Shrublet	J	J	J
	Robust shrub or tree	K			K	K	K	K
Stems	Hairless	J	K	K	J
	Hairy when young, ageing to sparsely hairy					J	J	K
Stems	Erect, unbranched		J
	Creeping, often branched			J
Leaves	Leaves secund (pointing upwards)			J
	Leaves not secund	K	J		K	K	K	K
Leaves	Hairless	K	K	K	K	K	m	m
	Hairy	m				m	K
Leaf	Width Less 10 mm	m	K	K
	10 to 20 mm	K	K	K		K	m	m
	20 to 30 mm	K	m		m	K	K	K
	30 to 40 mm	K			K		K	K
	40 to 50 mm	m			K			K
Leaf	Length 50 - 100 mm	m	K	K		m	K
	100 - 150 mm	K	m	K	m	K	m	K
	150 - 200 mm	K			K	K		K
	200 - 250 mm	K			K
Flower heads	Wine glass shaped, involucral bracts erect, inside hidden							J
	Bowl shaped, involucral bracts splayed, inside visible	K	K	K	K	K	K
Flowerheads	In clusters of 2 to 5					m	J
	Solitary	K	K	K	K	K		K
Flower head	Diameter to 50 mm	m	K	K			K
	50 - 75 mm	K	K	K		K	K
	75 - 100 mm	m			J			K
	Over 100 mm				J
Outer involucral bracts	Rusty brown hairs on outer surface						J
	Silvery hairs on outer surface	m				J		K
	Hairless on outer surface	J	K	K
Inner involucral bracts	Spoon shaped							J
	Not spoon shaped	K	K	K	K	K	K

J = diagnostic, K = useful, m = occasionally present

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