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Identifying Proteaceae 5. Paranomus and Allies

This is a group of three closely related genera. All have inflorescences comprising involucres of multiples of four florets grouped in terminal spikes. All have very similar fruit: a large rounded nut largely covered by an elaiosome. All are difficult to identify, for the simple reason that they require a hand lens to see the characters which distinguish the species. With a little practice most species can be identified as easily as any Protea or Pincushion.

Scepters are easily recognized by having dissected leaves with a grooved upper surface. The leaves curl slightly upwards, so that they are never flat. In addition, the inflorescences consist of a spike of heads (involucres), each head comprising a (involucral) bract and four florets each with a (floral) bract. These bracts become woody with age, forming rounded shells which play a role in releasing the ripe fruit. The fruit is a smooth nut, covered with an elaiosome and surrounded by a ring of hairs at the base and with the style attached at the tip.

Five sections can be recognized. An important feature in six of the 18 scepter species is the wedge-shaped adult leaf borne below the inflorescences and which may replace the dissected leaves in older plants. These leaves are probably expanded versions of the dissected leaves as they do not have interlinking veins between the major veins: consequently the veins spread out as in a fan.

To identify Scepters you must use a X10 magnifying lens: note the position, length and density of hairs on the style; the size and shape of florets; and leaf sizes and shapes.

Common Scepters (section Dispersae) comprise the majority of species bearing only the dissected form of leaf. All have hairy styles, leaves longer than 20 mm and a spike longer than 25 mm. You will need to measure petal and style length to identify members in this group.

Cornflower Scepters (section Esterhuyseniae) have only the dissected form of leaf and hairless styles. Some of the upper leaves may be flattened, but are distinctly dissected. The inflorescence is oval in shape with very few flowers (only 12-66).

The Fine-leaf Scepter P. capitatus (section Capitatae) has small, oval, dense, hairy spikes which give a "fluffy ball" appearance to the inflorescences. The leaves are the smallest in the genus (10-20 mm long) and very much divided. This is a tricky species: it is difficult to discern the diagnostic four flowers per bract and thus it may be mistaken for a Serruria. However, it has a hairy style unlike Serruria species.

The Woolly Scepter P. longicaulis (section Longicaulae) has both dissected and flat leaves. It is distinct from other dimorphic (two-shapes) leaved scepters in having a densely woolly inflorescence and untidy, brown, linear involucral bracts.

Elongate Scepters (section Reflexae) have dimorphic leaves, with the wedge-shaped flat leaves below the inflorescences. The most beautiful and popular of the scepters.

Two groups can easily be discerned:

Petals and style bright yellow, style longer than 14 mm.

Petals and style silvery pink, style shorter than 11 mm.

Aids to the identification of Scepters can be found in PAN 5: 3+17, and PAN 6: 16.

Powderpuffs are easily distinguished by their needle-like leaves and globular inflorescences. All four petals are similar. The fruit is a hairless, rounded nut, covered with an elaiosome. The inflorescences are made up of involucres comprising 4 or 8 florets, each floret having an inconspicuous bract.

There is a tendency for involucres lower on the inflorescence to have more florets than upper involucres although multiples of four are the most common:

Note that in S. clavigerus Erect powderpuff and S. palustris Prostrate powderpuff the uppermost involucres may have only a single floret, whereas the lowermost may have 6-9 or 4-7 florets, respectively; and,

in S. lanatus Common powderpuff 4 florets per involucre is most common, with some involucres having 8, 9, 6, 7, or 5 florets, in descending order of frequency.

Beware of S. teretifolius Capitate powderpuff: the involucral bracts are massed outside of the florets, so that the inflorescence consists of a single head (capitulum). However, the needle-shaped undivided leaves prevent confusion with any other genus.

The 11 species can be grouped into three sections. Although these sections are defined on the features of the fruit (which are difficult to obtain most of the time), leaf and inflorescence features can also be used, and the two major sections are geographically distinct.

In order to identify species within the sections take note of hairs on petals and shape of the pollen presenter and bracts. Numbers in parenthesis are the number of florets per involucre.

Needle-leaf Powderpuffs (section Mischocaryon) have long needle-like leaves with a prominent canal on the upper surface.

The hairless fruit has a very short stalk with the elaiosome base forming a `skirt'.

The six species are confined to south of Bainskloof and the Breede River.

Flat-Leaf Powderpuffs (section Sorocephalus) have flat or rounded leaves without any upper canal.

The hairless fruit has no stalk, but ridges at the base.

There are more than 10 involucres per inflorescence.

All four species occur north of Wellington-Worcester.

The Diminutive powderpuff S. tenuifolius (section Dasycharyon) is extinct (see PAN 1: 4). It was intermediate between the Powderpuffs and the Triple-Spoons:

the fruit was a typical Sorocephalus-type, but hairy.

The leaves were narrow and flat.

The inflorescences consisted of only 3-5 involucres, each with 4 florets, making it the Powderpuff with the fewest florets (12-20 per inflorescence).

Fruit of Spatalla

The Spoons are easily recognized by the three- or one- flowered involucres arranged in a spike. The petals are always curved away from the centre of the involucre. The pollen presenter is usually helmet-shaped. The fruit are cylindrical nuts with a short stalk, covered by hairs and a fleshy elaiosome with a "skirt" at the base.

Clearly Spoons have evolved from Powderpuffs. Although there are only three or one florets per involucre, the floral bracts of the missing florets are usually present. There is a trend within the Unispoons to reduce and fuse these floral bracts.

There are two sections in Spatalla, which I have subdivided further for atlassers who wish to get to know this genus.

My experience is that you will have to get to see many of the species before you will become proficient at identifying them.

Triplespoons (Section Cyrtostigma) have three florets per involucre.

All seven species are confined to the area north of the Riviersonderend River and a single species, S. confusa Long-tubed triplespoon, reaches the Swartberg and Kammanasie Mountains. Using a hand lens two groups may be distinguished (with S. incurva Swan-head triplespoon intermediate with the petals slightly unequal in size):

- Pollen presenter ovoid with style bent at right angles near tip. Petals all equal.

S. tulbaghensis, caudata, confusa, thyrsiflora, (incurva).

- Pollen presenter a helmet-shaped disc. Petals unequal (one equalling the pollen presenter in size)

S. argentea, propinqua.

Unispoons have a single floret per involucre.

Unispoons show a reduction from 4 to 3 floral bracts per flower, with marked fusion of some of the bracts.

With the exception of S. barbigera Fine-leaf unispoon which extends on to the Swartberg, the 13 species are found south of the Breede River in the west and south of the Little Karoo in the southern Cape.

- Pollen presenter ovoid cylindric or ovoid.

Petals all equal.

S. setacea, nubicola, salsoloides.

- Pollen presenter a helmet-shaped disc.

Petals unequal (one boat-shaped and equalling the pollen presenter in size)

- Inflorescence with a 10-70mm long stalk. Leaves needle-shaped with a slight groove above.

S. longifolia, curvifolia, racemosa.

- Inflorescence without a stalk.

Leaves needle-shaped without a groove.

- Style usually hairy.

Involucre of three fused floral bracts.

S. mollis Woolly Unispoon

- Style hairless. Involucre of four floral bracts.

- Involucre without a stalk

S. prolifera, squamata, ericoides.

- Involucre with a 1-3 mm long stalk

S. colorata, barbigera, parilis.

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