Protea eximia

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Protea eximia
Protea eximia MS 9177.jpg
Protea eximia in Helderberg Nature Reserve, South Africa
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Protea
Species:
P. eximia
Binomial name
Protea eximia
(Knight) Fourc.
Synonyms

Erodendrum eximium, Protea latifolia, Scolymocephalus latifolius, Protea auriculata, Scolymocephalus auriculatus, Protea latifolia var. auriculata

Contents

Protea eximia, the broad-leaved sugarbush, is a shrub from South Africa that may become a small tree. It occurs in mountain fynbos [2] on mainly mildly acidic sandy soils; [3] the species was very well known under its old name of Protea latifolia. The flowers have awns that are covered in purple-black velvety hairs, and are contained within a series of rings of involucral bracts that have the appearance of petals. The fruit is a densely hairy nut, many of which are inserted on a woody base. The flowers are borne terminally on long shoots, and have a tendency to become very untidy as they age.[ citation needed ]

Description

An upright, somewhat sparsely branched shrub to small tree from 2 - 5m in height and up to 300mm in diameter. The flowering stems are 7 - 10mm in diameter, initially hairy becoming nude. Leaves are semi-flattened to flattened, 60 - 100mm in length, 30 - 65mm broad, oval to elongated oval, strongly chordate at the base, tips acute; leathery, nude, glaucous. Flowers inverted cones, 100 - 140mm in length, 80 -120mm in diameter when fully open, base shallow cone, pointed, 25 - 30mm wide, 15 - 20mm high. Involucral bracts in 5 - 6 series, clearly differentiated into an outer- and inner-series, outer surface silky; outer-series oval to broad elongated oval, 10 - 15mm wide, 10 - 25mm long, tips rounded to acute, margins ciliate, greenish yellow to yellowish orange with wide blackish margins; inner-series acuminate to spatulate, 8 - 15mm wide and 40 - 100mm in length, yellowish near the base to pale crimson at the tips.

Protea eximia in cultivation in Stellenbosch, South Africa ProteaEximia.jpg
Protea eximia in cultivation in Stellenbosch, South Africa

Habitat

This protea species was discovered by James Niven ca. 1805 while on a journey of discovery in the Swartberg, Cape Province, South Africa (Black Mountains). Within 5 years the species was under cultivation in the Cape, and was later exported for cultivation in Europe. Protea eximia is widely distributed in the far south of Africa along the coastal mountains, from Worcester in the West to Port Elizabeth in the east. The species is encountered in a wide variety of habitats, altitudes, and temperature regimes. This versatility has resulted in it being brought into bloom outside as far north as the coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom.

Dense communities of these plants occur in the wild, to the extent that their density can make them virtually impenetrable. Such communities can be very large, and may stretch across several kilometres in their natural habitat. A natural thinning of these stands occurs over time, leaving fewer and larger specimens. They flower mainly in the months of August, September and October, but may begin as early as July and last until December. The large colourful inflorescences are a magnificent sight when the stands are large and dense.

Cultivation

Protea eximia is one of the easiest proteas to cultivate, and can be grown over a wide range of habitats. From seed, it will sprout within 3 weeks of planting and grows rapidly. It may begin to flower in the second year, but more generally from the third year. It may attain a height of ca. 1.5m within eight years, and is best planted in small close stands so that the plants can support one another. The leaves are susceptible to leaf miners.

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 caffra</i> Species of African sugarbush

Protea caffra, native to South Africa, is a small tree or shrub which occurs in open or wooded grassland, usually on rocky ridges. Its leaves are leathery and hairless. The flower head is solitary or in clusters of 3 or 4 with the involucral bracts a pale red, pink or cream colour. The fruit is a densely hairy nut. The species is highly variable and has several subspecies.

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

Protea compacta is a species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae. It is similar to Protea eximia. Its distribution is from the Kleinmond to Bredasdorp Mountains in South Africa and is one of the best known proteas in the cut flower industry. Its leaves curve upward.

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

Protea aristata is a compact shrub with beautiful flowers which is endemic to the southwestern part of the Cape Region of South Africa. P. aristata has become one of South Africa's most famous proteas in spite of its relatively late discovery, and re-discovery in 1953. The leaves are soft, dense and needle-like and the flower heads are a stunning crimson red, it may thus be a good potential ornamental plant for South African gardens. It is usually called the Ladismith sugarbush in South African English, although it has been called pine sugar bush in Australia. In the Afrikaans language it has the vernacular name of klein-den-suikerbos.

<i>Mimetes hirtus</i> Species of plant from the family Proteaceae endemic to the southwest Western Cape, South Africa

Mimetes hirtus is an upright, evergreen shrub of 1½–2 m (5–6½ ft) high from the family Proteaceae. It has upright, overlapping, (broadly) lance-shaped leaves, without teeth, but with one thickened pointy tip. It has cylindric inflorescences topped by a pine apple-like tuft of pinkish-brownish, smaller and more or less horizontal leaves. The flowerheads are tightly enclosed by yellow, red-tipped bracts, only the 9–14 long red styles and the whitish silky tips of the perianth sticking out. It is primarily pollinated by the Cape sugarbird. It is an endemic species of the southwest of the Western Cape province of South Africa, and grows in wet zones at the base of south facing mountain slopes. Flower heads may be found from May to November, but peaks in July and August. The species has several vernacular names of which marsh pagoda seems to be used most.

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

Leucospermum conocarpodendron is the largest species of the genus Leucospermum, reaching almost tree-like proportions of 5–6 m (16–20 ft) high with a firm trunk that is covered in a thick layer of cork that protects it from most fires. It has greyish or green narrow or broad inverted egg-shaped leaves with three to ten teeth near the tip and large yellow flowerheads, with firm, bent, yellow styles that stick far beyond the rest of the flower and give the impression of a pincushion. It is commonly known as the tree pincushion in English or goudsboom in Afrikaans. They naturally occur near Cape Town, South Africa.

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

Leucospermum oleifolium is an erect shrub of about 1 m (3.3 ft) high and 1½ m (5 ft) across that is assigned to the family Proteaceae. It has spreading branches, densely set with initially felty, entire, oval, olive-colored leaves of about 3½ cm long and 1½ cm (0.6 in) wide, with a bony tip that sometimes has two to five blunt teeth, with a blunt base and conspicuous veins. The flowers and their long thread-like styles are initially sulfur yellow, but soon become orange and finally turn brilliant crimson. The flower heads are about 4 cm (1.6 in) in diameter, crowded at the tip of the branches with a maximum of five that start flowering in turn. This provides for a colour spectacle from August till December. It is called by various names in South Africa such as Overberg pincushion, flame pincushion, mix pincushion and tuft pincushion. It naturally occurs in fynbos in 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>Mimetes splendidus</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae from Western Cape province of South Africa

Mimetes splendidus or splendid pagoda is an evergreen, rather sparsely branching, upright shrub of up to 2½ m (8 ft) high from the family Proteaceae. It has broadly lance-shaped to oval, silvery-hairy leaves with three or four teeth crowded at the tip. It has cylinder-shaped inflorescences that consists of many heads, each containing eleven to thirteen flowers, in the axils of the highest leaves. These leaves form a hood over a lower flowerhead and are flushed orangy pink. It flowers during winter, from early May to September. It is an endemic species that is restricted to the south face of the coastal mountains of the Western Cape province of South Africa.

<i>Mimetes stokoei</i> Species of shrub in the family Proteaceae

Mimetes stokoei, the mace pagoda, is an evergreen, upright, hardly branching, large shrub of 1–2 m high in the family Proteaceae. It has silvery, oval leaves of 5–8 cm (2.0–3.2 in) long and 2+12–4 cm (1.0–1.6 in) wide, with one large tooth supported by two smaller teeth near the tip, at an upward angle and somewhat overlapping each other. The inflorescences are set just below the growing tip, are cylinder-shaped, 10–12 cm (4–5 in) high, topped by a crest of small, more or less horizontal, pinkish-purple tinged leaves. It consists of several flower heads in the axils of golden leaves with a pinkish wash that form a hood shielding the underlying flower head. Each flower head contains eight to twelve individual flowers, with amber-colored styles topped by blackish purple pollen presenters and grey silky perianth lobes. It is endemic to the Fynbos ecoregion of South Africa, being confined to the Kogelberg mountain range. The mace pagoda was twice presumed extinct, but reappeared in its natural habitat from seed, after a wildfire several decades later.

<i>Mimetes pauciflorus</i> Shrub in the family Proteaceae endemic to South Africa

Mimetes pauciflorus, the three-flowered pagoda, is an evergreen, shyly branching, upright shrub of 2–4 (6½–13 ft) high, from the family Proteaceae. It has narrowly to broadly oval leaves of 2½–4 cm (1.0–1.6 in) long and ¾–2 cm (0.3–0.8 in) wide, on the upper parts of the branches, the lower parts leafless with a reddish brown bark. The inflorescences at the top of the shoots are cylinder-shaped, 10–40 cm (4–16 in) long and contain forty to one hundred twenty densely crowded flower heads, at a steep upward angle, hiding a crest of very small, almost vertical leaves. The flower heads each consist of three, rarely four individual flowers. The flowers are tightly enclosed by four or five orange-yellow, fleshy, pointy, lance-shaped involucral bracts, and three orange-yellow, 4–5½ cm (1.6–2.4 in) long bracteoles. It grows on always moist, south-facing slopes in the southern coastal mountains of South Africa. Flowers can be found from August to November, with a peak in September.

<i>Mimetes saxatilis</i> Endemic shrub in the family Proteaceae from South Africa

Mimetes saxatilis or limestone pagoda is an evergreen, upright, rarely branching shrub of 1–2¼ m (3⅓–7¼ ft) high, assigned to the family Proteaceae. The approximately oval leaves are 3½–5 cm (1.4–2.0 in) long and 1½–3 cm (0.6–1.2 in) wide with a blunt, thickened, reddish tip or with three crowded teeth. It has cylinder-shaped inflorescences topped by a crest of green leaves, further consisting of heads with 12-22 individual bright yellow flowers, each in the axil of a flat, green leaf. It is an endemic species that is restricted to limestone outcrops in the Agulhas plains in the very south of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is considered an endangered species. Flowering may occur between July and December, but is unreliable in its timing, dependent on sufficient moisture availability.

<i>Mimetes argenteus</i> Endemic shrub from the Western Cape province of South Africa

Mimetes argenteus is an evergreen, upright, hardly branching, large shrub of about 2 m (6½ ft) high in the family Proteaceae. It has elliptic, silvery leaves, due to a dense covering of silky hairs, that stand out a right angle from the branches. It has cylindric inflorescences of 8–15 cm (3–6 in) long and 10–12 cm (4–5 in) in diameter, crested by smaller silvery pink leaves at an upright angle. These consist of many flower heads, each containing six to nine individual flowers and ar set in the axil of a leaf flushed mauve to carmine. It flowers from March to June. The silver pagoda naturally occurs in the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is called silver pagoda or silver-leaved bottlebrush in English and vaalstompie in Afrikaans.

<i>Felicia oleosa</i> A shrublet in the daisy family from South Africa

Felicia oleosa is an evergreen, richly branched dwarf shrub of up to 30 cm (12 in) high, that is assigned to the family Asteraceae. It has narrow, awl-shaped leaves, with translucent oil or resin dots, pointing upwards, crowded on the younger stems. The flower heads have about thirteen bright blue ray florets, encircling many yellow disc florets. This species grows in the mountains dividing the Karoo region of South Africa. It is sometimes called oily blue daisy in English.

<i>Felicia nordenstamii</i> A shrublet in the daisy family from South Africa

Felicia nordenstamii is a flowering shrub in the family Asteraceae. It is found only in South Africa where it grows on limestone hills close to the sea on the southern coast. Felicia nordenstamii is a many-branched shrub growing up to 30 cm (1 ft) tall. The lower parts of the stems are covered in grayish brown bark and the upper stem has many crowded, upwardly angled, alternate leaves with long hairs on the lower surfaces. Large flower heads form at the tips of the branches, each about 412 cm across, with about thirty purplish blue ray florets surrounding many yellow disc florets.

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

Protea pityphylla, also known as Ceres sugarbush or mountain rose, is a flowering shrub of the genus Protea, in the family Proteaceae. The plant is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa.

References

  1. Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Protea eximia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113207343A185581161. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113207343A185581161.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. Grubb; Nadler. "Flora Grub". Flora Grub. Retrieved 1 July 2024.
  3. "Protrea Eximia". PLANTedia. Retrieved 1 July 2024.