Protea dracomontana

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Protea dracomontana
Protea dracomontana 30312614.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Protea
Species:
P. dracomontana
Binomial name
Protea dracomontana
Synonyms [3] [4]
  • Protea inyanganiensisBeard

Protea dracomontana, the Nyanga protea [3] or the Drakensberg sugarbush, [5] [6] is a flowering plant that belongs within the genus Protea . The plant is found in the Eastern Cape, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal and the escarpment of the Free State, [7] as well as eastern Zimbabwe. [3] [7] In Zimbabwe this species is only known from a disjunct subpopulation confined to the summit of Mount Nyangani. [4]

Contents

Another vernacular name for this plant is Drakensberg dwarf sugarbush. In Afrikaans it is known as the Drakensbergse dwergsuikerbos. [5]

Taxonomy

This species was first described by John Stanley Beard in 1958, [2] from a specimen, the holotype, which he had collected on Mount Nyangani, Zimbabwe. [4]

Protea inyanganiensis is an (illegitimate) synonym for the Zimbabwe population created by Beard in 1993. [3] [4]

Description

Protea dracomontana 59376241.jpg

It is a shrub which has numerous stems and grows up to 1.5 metres high, [7] often less. [3] [4] The plant blooms mainly from January to March. [6] [7] This species is monoecious with both sexes in each flower. [7] The flowers are grouped together in a tight-packed inflorescence ('flower-head'), surrounded by petal-looking bracts, which is 6–9 cm in diameter, [4] and is coloured creamy-white, often tinged with pink at the tips of the innermost bracts and the flowers. [3] [4]

The stems are reddish-brown to grey, glabrous and smooth to the touch. [4]

It is extremely similar to Protea caffra subsp. gazensis in Zimbabwe, which occurs contemptuously at lower altitudes than P. dracomontana, and P. caffra subsp. caffra in South Africa, for which the same applies. It is primarily distinguished from these taxa by having shorter inflorescences and a short, squat, bushy habitus. Rourke (1980) states possible hybrids between the two may exist. [4]

Ecology

This species can re-sprout again after wildfires from a bole-shaped rootstock, [5] although it seems to need some protection from wildfires and is always found growing among rocks. [3] Pollination occurs through the action of birds and insects. [5] The seed is not stored on the plant, [5] is released nine to twelve months after the flowers are formed, [7] and is dispersed by action of the wind. [5] [7]

The plant grows in alpine grasslands and among rocks at heights of 1,600 m to 2,200 metres in South Africa, [5] [4] and peaty tussock grassland at 2,300 to 2,400 metres altitude, perhaps higher, at the summit of a single mountain in Zimbabwe. [3] [4]

Conservation

It is not in danger of extinction. It has declined somewhat in the Drakensberg foothills due to habitat loss caused by agriculture, timber plantations and expanding rural settlements. It may be locally extinct in Lesotho. Nonetheless, it is widespread and common in the Drakensberg Mountains of KwaZulu-Natal and adjacent areas in the Free State Province. [5] It is rare in Zimbabwe. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Protea neriifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea neriifolia, also known as the narrow-leaf sugarbush, oleander-leaved sugarbush, blue sugarbush, or the oleanderleaf protea, is a flowering plant in the genus Protea, which is endemic to South Africa.

<i>Protea angolensis</i> Species of flowering plant

Protea angolensis is also known as the Angolan protea, northern protea or northern sugarbush. In Afrikaans it is known as the noordelijke suikerbos. This is a dwarf, multistemmed shrub or small straggling tree occurring in open wooded grassland and miombo.

<i>Protea gaguedi</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea gaguedi is a species of tree which belongs to the genus Protea.

<i>Protea welwitschii</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea welwitschii is a species of shrub or small tree which belongs to the genus Protea, and which occurs in bushveld and different types of grassland.

<i>Protea comptonii</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea comptonii, also known as saddleback sugarbush, is a smallish tree of the genus Protea in the family Proteaceae. It is found in South Africa and Eswatini.

<i>Protea scolymocephala</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea scolymocephala, also known as the thistle protea or thistle sugarbush, is a flowering plant from the genus Protea native to South Africa.

<i>Protea pendula</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea pendula, also known as the nodding sugarbush or arid sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea, in the family Proteaceae, which is only found growing in the wild in the Cape Region of South Africa. In the Afrikaans language it is known as knikkopsuikerbossie or ondersteboknopprotea.

<i>Protea intonsa</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea intonsa, also known as the tufted sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea within the family Proteaceae, endemic to South Africa, where it is distributed from the eastern Swartberg and Kammanassie Mountains to the Baviaanskloof mountains. In Afrikaans it is known as klossie-suikerbos.

<i>Protea rubropilosa</i> Flowering tree

Protea rubropilosa, also known as the Transvaal sugarbush, escarpment sugarbush or Transvaal mountain sugarbush, is a flowering tree, that belongs to the genus Protea in the family Proteaceae. The plant only occurs in South Africa.

<i>Protea pudens</i> Flowering tree

Protea pudens, also known as the bashful sugarbush, is a low-growing, groundcover-like, flowering shrub in the genus Protea. It is only found growing in the wild in a small area in the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Protea susannae</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea susannae, also known as stink-leaf sugarbush, is a flower-bearing shrub of the genus Protea. The plant is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa.

<i>Protea speciosa</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea speciosa, also known as the brown-beard sugarbush, is a flowering shrub which is classified as within the genus Protea.

<i>Protea acuminata</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea acuminata, also known in English as the black-rim sugarbush, or in the Afrikaans language as sederbergsuikerbos, is a flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea. The plant is endemic to South Africa. There are isolated populations at Nieuwoudtville, and in the Cederberg, Stettynskloof and Riviersonderend Mountains. It can grow as an upright tree. It can become up to two metres in height. It blooms from June to September, with the peak of July to August. Periodic wildfires may destroy the adult plants, but the seeds can survive such an event. The seeds are dispersed by means of the wind. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower. It is unknown what causes the pollination to occur. The plant grows in sandy plains and coastal lowlands from sea-level to altitudes of 400 metres. It is a widespread species which is not in danger, and the conservation status has been assessed as 'least concern'.

<i>Protea revoluta</i> Species of flowering plant

Protea revoluta, also known as the roll-leaved sugarbush or rolled-leaf sugarbush, is a species of plant which is classified in the genus Protea. P. revoluta is only found growing in the wild in South Africa, where plants can be found growing between the Cederberg inland on the Atlantic coast and the Witteberg area to the north.

<i>Protea simplex</i> Species of plant

Protea simplex, the dwarf grassveld sugarbush, is a flower-bearing shrub belonging to the genus Protea. It is native to South Africa.

Protea nubigena, commonly known as cloud sugarbush, is a very rare species of a flowering shrub belonging to the Protea genus. It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and is found in the uKhahlamba Basalt Grassland within the Royal Natal National Park, near Mont-Aux-Sources, at an altitude of about 2,250 metres (7,380 ft) in well-drained, humus-rich soil on shaded slopes.

<i>Protea parvula</i> Species of flowering shrub

Protea parvula, also known as the dainty sugarbush, or kleinsuikerbos in Afrikaans, is a small flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea.

<i>Protea caespitosa</i> Species of plant

Protea caespitosa, also known as hottentot bishop sugarbush or bishop sugarbush, is a flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea which is only found growing in the wild in South Africa.

<i>Protea scolopendriifolia</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea scolopendriifolia, also known as the Harts-tongue-fern sugarbush or Hart's-tongue-fern sugarbush, is a flowering shrub endemic to South Africa, where it occurs in both the Western and Eastern Cape. It is found from the Cederberg, through the Kogelberg, Riviersonderend Mountains and Swartberg, to the Kouga Mountains. It blooms in Spring, from September to December.

<i>Protea subvestita</i> Species of flowering plant

Protea subvestita, the waterlily sugarbush, is a flower bearing shrub that belongs to the well-known genus Protea. The plant is endemic to South Africa and occurs in Mpumalanga on the escarpment of the Wakkerstroom, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Eastern Cape and the Klein Swartberg. The shrub is large, erect and grows up to 5 m. It flowers mainly from January to March.

References

  1. ↑ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Protea dracomontana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113209593A157946134. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113209593A157946134.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Protea dracomontana | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Hyde, Mark; Wursten, Bart; Ballings, Petra; Coates Palgrave, Meg (2000). "Protea dracomontana Beard". Flora of Zimbabwe. Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Protea dracomontana Beard". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. 2000. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (15 April 2019). "Drakensberg Sugarbush". Red List of South African Plants. version 2020.1. South African National Biodiversity Institute . Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Protea dracomontana (Drakensberg sugarbush)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko - Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Grassland Sugarbushes - Proteas". Protea Atlas Project Website. 11 March 1998. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
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