Leucospermum cuneiforme

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Leucospermum cuneiforme
Leucospermum cuneiforme Potberg 01.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Leucospermum
Species:
L. cuneiforme
Binomial name
Leucospermum cuneiforme
Leucospermum cuneiforme distribution.svg
Synonyms [2]
  • Leucadendron cuneiforme
  • Protea elliptica, Leucadendrum ellipticum, Leucospermum ellipticum, Leucadendron ellipticum
  • Leucadendrum phyllanthifolium, Leucospermum phyllanthifolium
  • Leucadendrum cervinum
  • Leucospermum attenuatum, P. attenuata
  • Leucospermum zeyheri
  • Leucospermum septemdentatum

Leucospermum cuneiforme is an upright evergreen shrub with many pustules growing on the lower branches, wedge-shaped leaves, and oval, initially yellow flower heads that later turn orange, with long styles sticking far beyond the perianths, jointly giving the impression of a pincushion. It is called wart-stemmed pincushion in English and luisiesbos (lice-bush) in Afrikaans. The species is common in the southern mountains of South Africa. [3] [4]

Contents

Description

Leucospermum cuneiforme is an upright, evergreen shrub, often of only ½–1 m (1½–3 ft) high, that has branches that originate from a woody rootstock in the ground, and if protected against fire will develop a main stem and grows up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high. The stem and lower branches are covered in pustules, a unique feature for this species. The upright flowering branches are 3–7 mm (0.12–0.28 in) in diameter and appear to be grey due to soft, crinkly hairs. The leaves are hairless, narrow to broadly wedge-shaped 4½–11 cm (1.8–4.4 in) long and 0.6–3 cm (0.24–1.18 in) wide, with three to ten teeth with bony tips near the far end of the leaf. [2] [5]

The flower heads sitting usually solitary or grouped with two or three near the end of the branches, are egg-shaped, 5–9 cm (2.0–3.5 in) in diameter each on a stalk of up to 1½ cm (0.6 in) long. The common base of the flowers within the same head is cylindric with a blunt tip, 2½–4½ cm (1.0–1.8 in) long and 6 mm (0.24 in) wide. The bracts that subtend the flower head are broadly oval with a pointy tip, about 0.8–1.0 cm (0.31–0.39 in) long and 6 mm (0.24 in) wide, closely overlapping, rubbery in consistency, grey due to the dense soft hair. The bracts that subtend the individual flower are oval with a pointy tip, 1.0–1.2 cm (0.39–0.47 in) long and about 7 mm (0.28 in) wide, rubbery in consistency, embracing the foot of the perianth, densely woolly at the base, less dense nearer the tip and with a dense row of hairs around the fringes. The perianth is 2½–4 cm (1.0–1.6 in) long, curved towards the center of the flower head in bud. It is initially yellow, but later changes to orange, although the colour differs across the range. Its base is fused into a tube of 6–10 mm (0.24–0.39 in) long, a bit laterally compressed, smooth near the base and with a minutely powdery covering near the top. Three of the perianth lobes coil back towards the center of the flower head, with many fine and short crinkly hairs and some long straight silky hairs. The style is 3¾–5½ cm (1½–2¼ in) long, slightly curved towards the center of the flower head, initially yellow but later turning orange. It is topped by a slight thickening that is called the pollen presenter, which is narrow or broadly cone-shaped 1½–4 mm (0.6–1.6 in) long and up to 2 cm (0.79 in) wide, with the groove that functions as the stigma central at the very tip. The four scales that subtend the ovary are triangular to awl-shaped and about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. [2] [5]

Taxonomy

Henrik Bernard Oldenland, the Cape's master gardener of the Dutch East India Company could have been the first to collect the wart-stemmed pincushion, when he crossed the Outeniqua Mountains near Attaqua's Kloof on an expedition in 1689. The first to describe Oldenland's pincushion was Nicolaas Laurens Burman in his book Florae Capensis Prodromus, and he named it Leucadendron cuneiforme in 1768. Carl Peter Thunberg published a revision of the Proteaceae in 1781, in which he followed Carl Linnaeus in assigning all species to Protea, and he distinguished Protea elliptica. Joseph Knight published a book in 1809 titled On the cultivation of the plants belonging to the natural order of Proteeae , that contained an extensive revision of the Proteaceae attributed to Richard Anthony Salisbury. Salisbury moved Thunberg's species to his new genus Leucadendrum, calling it Leucadendrum ellipticum. In addition he recognised two slightly different forms, calling them Leucadendrum phyllanthifolium and Leucadendrum cervinum. It is assumed that Salisbury had based his review on a draft he had been studying of a paper called On the natural order of plants called Proteaceae that Robert Brown was to publish in 1810. Brown however, called the genus Leucospermum and made the new combination Leucospermum ellipticum, and further recognised a form he called Leucospermum attenuatum. The French botanist Jean Poiret assigned that last specimen to the genus Protea in 1816, making the new combination P. attenuata. Carl Meissner describe a form in 1856, which he named Leucospermum zeyheri. Otto Kuntze revised the genus in 1891 and called it Leucadendron, a homonym of a name that had already been used by Linnaeus in 1753 for another group of Proteaceae, which have separate sexes and very large bracts, making the combination Leucadendron ellipticum. Michel Gandoger finally added Leucospermum septemdentatum in 1913. In 1932, Henry Georges Fourcade realised a new combination, Leucospermum phyllanthifolium, needed to be made for Salisbury's second species. Although the variation in leaf length, leaf toothing and size of the flower heads in Leucospermum cuneiforme is large, and distant populations may appear to be quite distinct, the characters all change gradually, so it is not possible to determine where subtaxa might start and end. Hence, John Patrick Rourke in 1970 only recognises one variable species. [2]

Leucospermum cuneiforme is the type species of the cylindric pincushions, section Crassicaudex .

The subtribe Proteinae, to which the genus Leucospermum has been assigned, consistently has a basic chromosome number of twelve (2n=24). [6]

The species name cuneiforme is compounded from the Latin words cuneus, meaning "wedge" and forma, meaning "form", combined "wedge-shaped". [4] [7] The Afrikaans name luisiesbos "lice bush" comes from the similarity of the seed pods to species of lice. [8]

Distribution, habitat and ecology

Early flowering stage when the pollen presenter is still encased by the perianth claws like a cap Leucospermum cuneiforme Potberg 03.jpg
Early flowering stage when the pollen presenter is still encased by the perianth claws like a cap
The wart-like swellings on older stems are a unique feature of this pincushion species Leucospermum cuneiforme warts Rebelo.jpg
The wart-like swellings on older stems are a unique feature of this pincushion species

L. cuneiforme has the largest distribution area of the entire genus, and can be found all along the southern coast of the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces, and the adjacent mountain ranges between Greyton (Caledon district) in the west and Qolora Mouth in Transkei in the east. It occurs in various climatic circumstances with both dominant rain in winter or summer or without a clear-cut peak. The distribution includes Riviersonderend, Potberg, Langeberg Range, Outeniqua and Swartberg Mountains. It can grow in sclerophyll fynbos, such as on the south-facing slopes of the Langeberg together with other Proteaceae, Erica species, Rutaceae and Restionaceae , but also on grassveld, and subtropical dune forests in the Eastern Cape, where it grows together with plants like Phoenix reclinata and Stangeria eriopus , on the arid fringe of the Little Karoo and the wet margins of the temperate evergreen forests near Knysna and Tsitsikama. It does however stick to poor sandy soils derived from Table Mountain Sandstone, Witteberg Quartzite and stabilised sandy Tertiary deposits. It can be found at sea-level as well as up to over 1,000 m (3,300 ft) altitude. L. cuneiforme is one of the most fire resistant pincushions. Although fire kills the above ground parts of the plant, multiple branches sprout from the rootstock. Mostly, the frequency of the fires makes sure shrubs generally are only ½–1 m (1½–3 ft), but when left unchecked, it develops a dominant stem and grows to about 3 m (9.8 ft). Some flowers can be found all year round, but there is a distinct peak from August till February. [2] The unscented but conspicuously coloured flower heads are pollinated by birds that feed on the nectar, such as the Cape sugarbird and some species of sunbird. The birds sit on the flower head and stick their long bills into perianth tubes and so bring their heads and necks in contact with the pollen presenters. Although the flowers are also visited by insects, these do not touch the pollen presenters so do not contribute to the pollination. [4]

The seeds are covered in a pale fleshy coating called elaiosome that attracts ants. About two months after flowering, the seeds are ripe and get released from the flower heads, and native ants gather them and carry them to their underground nests. Here, the elaiosome is consumed. The remaining seed is big, slick and hard and the ants cannot remove it. This way the seeds are safe from seed-eaters and fire. This seed dispersal strategy is called myrmecochory. After a fire, the seeds promptly germinate. So, L. cuneiforme has two strategies to survive a fire: myrmecochory and resprouting from the rootstock. [4]

Cultivation

L. cuneiforme is used as an ornamental shrub and is also cultivated as cut flower. There are a few cultivars, such as "Goldie", in addition to several hybrids of L. cuneiforme with other species. [4]

Related Research Articles

<i>Leucospermum</i> Genus of shrubs in the family Proteaceae

Leucospermum is a genus of evergreen upright, sometimes creeping shrubs that is assigned to the Proteaceae, with currently forty-eight known species.

<i>Leucospermum cordifolium</i> Ornamental pincushion is a shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum cordifolium is an upright, evergreen shrub of up to 1½ m (5 ft) high from the Proteaceae. The flower heads are globe-shape with a flattened top, 10–12 cm (3.9–4.7 in) in diameter, and are carried individually or with two or three together mostly at a right angle to its branch. The perianth is 3–3½ cm long, yellow, orange or crimson in color. From each flower emerges a 4½–6 cm (1.8–2.4 in) long style sticking out horizontally but curving upwards near the obliquely, shell-shaped, thicker pollen presenter. This gives each head the appearance of a pincushion. Its common name is ornamental pincushion in English and bobbejaanklou in Afrikaans. It flowers between the middle of July and the end of November. It naturally occurs near the south coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. Varieties and hybrids of this species are used as cut flower and garden plant.

<i>Leucospermum hypophyllocarpodendron</i> Species of shrub

Leucospermum hypophyllocarpodendron is a creeping, mat-forming shrub with heads of yellow flowers and leathery, upright narrow leaves with some red-tipped teeth at their tips, from the family Proteaceae. It has long thin branches that originate from an underground rootstock and grows on poor, sandy soils in southwestern South Africa. The rose-scented flower heads can be found for August to January and are visited by different monkey beetles, bees and flies. It has two subspecies, one with greyish leaves U-shaped in cross section called grey snakestem pincushion in English and gruisslangbossie in Afrikaans, the other with green leaves that are flat in cross-section called green snakestem pincushion and groenslangbossie.

<i>Leucospermum prostratum</i> Trailing shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum prostratum is a trailing shrub of up to 4 m (13 ft) in diameter from the Proteaceae. It has alternately set, about 3 cm (1.2 in) long, lance-shaped, olive-colored, upright leaves, and produces sweetly scented, compact, hemispherical flower heads, with long styles sticking out far from the perianth tube, which jointly give the flower head the appearance of a pincushion. The fragrant flowers found between July and December are initially yellow but turn orange when older. It is an endemic species restricted to the south coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. Its common name is yellow-trailing pincushion.

<i>Leucospermum saxosum</i> Species of evergreen shrub

Leucospermum saxosum is an upright evergreen shrub of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) high that is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has lance-shaped, leathery leaves and egg-shaped flower heads of about 5 cm (2.0 in) in diameter, with initially yellow-orange flowers, later turning crimson, from which long styles stick out, giving the flower head the appearance of a pincushion. It is called escarpment pincushion in English. It grows on quartzite soils in the mountains on the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border and in eastern Transvaal.

<i>Leucospermum lineare</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum lineare is an evergreen shrub with linear leaves and is assigned to the Proteaceae. There are two distinct forms that have not been formally recognized as separate taxa. There is an upright form with orange flower heads of up to 2 m (6.6 ft) high, and a sprawling form of 2–3 m (6.6–9.8 ft) in diameter with yellow flower heads. Its common name is needle-leaf pincushion, or narrow-leaf pincushion, in English and smalblaarspeldekussing in Afrikaans. The orange-flowered form is called tangerine pincushion or assegaaibos pincushion. Flowering occurs in the first half of the southern hemisphere season, but peaks in September and October. It is an endemic species that can only be found in the southwest of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum truncatulum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum truncatulum is a slender, upright, evergreen, hardly branching shrub of up to 2 m (6 ft) high, with felty inverted egg-shaped to oval, leaves with entire margins of 1–2½ cm (0.4–1.0 in) long and ½–1 cm (0.2–0.4 in) wide. It has small globe-shaped, at first yellow, later pinkish flower heads of 1½–2 cm (0.6-0.8 in) in diameter, without a stalk, usually crowded with two to eight together near the end of the stems. It is known as oval-leaf pincushion in English, and patrysbos or kleinkopspeldekussing in Afrikaans. It is an endemic species of the south of the Western Cape province of South Africa, and flowers between August and December.

<i>Leucospermum tomentosum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum tomentosum is an evergreen, mostly spreading shrublet of approximately 75 cm (3 ft) high and up to 3 m (10 ft) in diameter, with alternately set, linear or narrowly spade-shaped, grey felty leaves, with one to three teeth near the tip. It has round, seated flower heads of 3–3½ cm (1.2–1.4 in) in diameter, occurring in groups of one to four, and consisting of deep yellow, very sweet scented flowers. It can survive the occasional wildfire because it regenerates from the underground rootstock. It is an endemic species that is restricted to a narrow strip along the Atlantic coast of the Western Cape province of South Africa. The species flowers between June and November. It is called Saldanha pincushion in English.

<i>Leucospermum heterophyllum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum heterophyllum is a low, trailing evergreen shrublet of up to 15 cm (6 in) high, and up to several m in diameter, which is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has narrow leaves of about 2½ cm (1 in) long and ½ cm (0.2 in) wide, mostly with three teeth near its tip. It has small, globe-shaped, whitish flower heads. It is called trident pincushion in English and rankluisie in Afrikaans. It naturally occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The plant flowers between August and January.

<i>Leucospermum parile</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum parile is a rounded shrub, of up to 1½ m (6 ft) high that is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has narrow, grey felty leaves of about 2 cm (2 in) long and 7 mm (0.28 in) wide, with rich yellow, globular, well-scented flower heads of about 3 cm (1.2 in) across. It grows in pure white sand in the sandveld of a very small area in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is called Malmesbury pincushion in English and Malmesburyluisie in Afrikaans. It flowers from July till November.

<i>Leucospermum tottum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum tottum is an upright, evergreen shrub of up to 1½ m high and 2 m (6 ft) in diameter from the Proteaceae. The oblong, mostly entire leaves with a bony tip are somewhat spreading and distant from each other, and so exposing the stem. It is called elegant pincushion or ribbon pincushion in English, and oranje-rooi speldekussing or vuurhoutjies in Afrikaans. Flowers can be found between September and January. The species naturally occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa. Two different varieties are distinguished, which are genetically very close, but differ in the color, orientation and tube-length of the flowers, the volume and sugar content of the nectar. This is probably an adaptation to different pollinators.

<i>Leucospermum formosum</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum formosum is a large upright shrub of up to 3 m (9.8 ft) high, from the family Proteaceae. It grows from a single trunk and its branches are greyish felty. The softly felty leaves are lance-shaped to elliptic, 6+1⁄2–10 cm (2.6–3.9 in) long and 14–20 mm (0.55–0.79 in) wide. The flower heads are flattened and about 15 cm (5.9 in) across, and consist of bright yellow flowers from which long, styles emerge which are strongly clockwise bent just below the white, later pink thickened tip. From above, the heads look like turning wheels. It is called silver-leaf wheel-pincushion in English. It flowers during September and October. It is an endemic species of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum innovans</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal in South Africa

Leucospermum innovans is an upright evergreen shrub with many pustules growing on the lower branches, wedge-shaped leaves, and oval, flower heads that are yellow on the outside, but with scarlet stripes on the inside of the perianth claws, with long styles sticking far beyond the perianths, jointly giving the impression of a pincushion. It is called Pondoland pincushion or Transkei pincushion in English. Flowers occur on and off between July and December, but flowering peaks in September and October.

<i>Leucospermum vestitum</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum vestitum is an evergreen, upright to more or less spreading shrub of up to 2½ m (9 ft) high and wide from the family Proteaceae. It has greyish, seated, oblong, 2–3 inch long leaves with two to four teeth near the tip and large, showy two-toned flower heads that are bright orange at first by and age to brilliant crimson. From the center of the perianth emerge long styles, higher up bending towards the center of the head, that jointly give the impression of a pincushion. It is called silky-haired pincushion in English and bergluisie in Afrikaans. It can be found in the Western Cape province of South Africa, and flowers from July until January, peaking October and November.

Leucospermum profugum, the Piketberg pincushion, is a species of evergreen shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is an endangered species, only known from three close locations in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It has hairless and leathery inverted lance-shaped to oblong leaves tipped with mostly three or four teeth and flattened egg-shaped flowerheads of 9–12 cm (3.5–4.7 in) in diameter, that consist of initially yellowish-orange flowers that later change to salmon pink. From the center of the flowers emerge almost straight styles that jointly give the impression of a pincushion. Flower heads can be found between late September and December.

<i>Leucospermum spathulatum</i> The Cederberg pincushion is a shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum spathulatum is an evergreen, spreading and mat-forming shrub, that has been assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has inverted egg-shaped to spade-shaped mostly greyish softly hairy leaves, mostly without teeth and flattened globe-shapec flower heads of 5–7 cm (2.0–2.8 in) across, consisting of deep orange to crimson flowers, the bud and the style curving toward the center. It can be found in the Western Cape province of South Africa. The common name in English is Cederberg pincushion. It flowers between September and January, with a peak at the end of October.

<i>Leucospermum secundifolium</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum secundifolium is a low, evergreen shrub that grows along the ground, the tip of the branches slightly rising, which has been assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has narrowly elliptic leaves with a distinct leafstalk, and few-flowered and very small heads of 1–1½ cm (0.4–0.6 in) across. It is called stalked pincushion in English. The sweetly scented flower heads may be found around early December. It is an endemic species that only grows in a small area of the Western Cape province of South-Africa.

<i>Leucospermum rodolentum</i> The sandveld pincushion is a shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum rodolentum is an upright, evergreen shrub of up to 3.0 m high, from the family Proteaceae. It has felty grey, elliptic to wedge-shaped leaves of 4–6½ cm (1.8–2.6 in) long and ¾–1½ cm wide, and very sweetly scented, globe-shaped, 3–3½ cm (1.2–1.4 in) wide, bright yellow flower heads, that are seated or on a very short stalk of ½ cm long, grouped with two to four together. Its common names include is sandveld pincushion in English and sandluisie or sandveldluisiesbos in Afrikaans. The plants are in bloom between August and November. It is an endemic species that only grows in a small area of the Western Cape province of South-Africa.

<i>Leucospermum gracile</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum gracile is a low spreading shrub of 30–40 cm high and forms open mats of 1½ m (5 ft) in diameter, from the family Proteaceae. It has reddish flowering stems, oblong to linear leaves of 2–4½ cm (0.8–1.8 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) wide, with one or three teeth. The initially yellow, later orange flower heads of 2½–3 cm (1.0–1.2 in) in diameter are flat-topped. The flower heads occur from July to October. From the flowers occur long styles with a slightly thicker tip, which together give the impression of a pincushion. It is called Hermanus pincushion in English. It naturally occurs in fynbos in the southern mountains of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Leucospermum saxatile</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from the Western Cape of South Africa

Leucospermum saxatile is an evergreen, rising to sprawling shrub of ½–¾ m high and 1–1½ m (3⅓–5 ft) wide, from the family Proteaceae. It has reddish tinged flowering stems and line-shaped, narrowing wedge-shaped leaves of 2½–5 cm(1–2 in) long and 2–5 mm (0.08–0.20 in) wide, with one to three blunt teeth, whorl-shaped, flat-topped, at first pale lime green but later carmine flower heads of 2½–3 cm across, mostly individually but sometimes grouped with two or three, each on a stalk. The flower heads occur from July to October. From the flowers occur long styles with a slightly thicker tip, which together give the impression of a pincushion. It is called Karoo pincushion in English. Flowering heads can be found from July until February. It naturally occurs in fynbos in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

References

  1. ↑ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Leucospermum cuneiforme". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113172114A157946891. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113172114A157946891.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Rourke, John Patrick (1970). = 1 Taxonomic Studies on Leucospermum R.Br (PDF). pp. 30–37.{{cite book}}: Check |url= value (help)
  3. ↑ "Identifying Pincushions". Protea Atlas Project.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 "Leucospermum cuneiforme (Burm.f.) Rourke". SANBI.
  5. 1 2 "Compilation Leucospermum zeyheri". JSTOR Global Plants.
  6. ↑ Johnson, L.A.S.; Briggs, Barbara G. (1975). "On the Proteaceae—the evolution and classification of a southern family". Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 70 (2): 106. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.1975.tb01644.x.[ permanent dead link ]
  7. ↑ Criley, Richard A. (2010). "2". In Jules Janick (ed.). Leucospermum: Botany and Horticulture. Horticultural Reviews. Vol. 61. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN   9780470650721.
  8. ↑ Manning, John (2008). Field Guide to Fynbos. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. p. 270. ISBN   9781770072657.
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