Protea montana

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Protea montana
Protea montana outramps tanniedi iNat41362225a.jpg
Protea montana developing inflorescence
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Protea
Species:
P. montana
Binomial name
Protea montana
Synonyms [3]

Protea montana also known as the Swartberg sugarbush, [4] [5] is a flowering plant of the genus Protea within the family Proteaceae, which is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa. [4] [3] In Afrikaans it is known as swartbergsuikerbos.[ citation needed ]

Contents

Taxonomy

Protea montana was first scientifically collected at 5,000 feet (1,500 m) elevation by the German plant collector and horticulturalist Johann Franz Drège in August 1829, [note 1] when he was exploring the eastern flanks of the Groot Swartberg Mountains with Karl Zeyher in the area of the farm of Vrolykheid. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] When he returned to Europe from Africa, he detailed his botanical adventures in his 1843 work Zwei pflanzengeographische Documente, which detailed where he collected what each month in a brief diary-like format. This work is the first in which the name P. montana was published. In an index appended to the back of the book, Drège attributes the name to Ernst Heinrich Friedrich Meyer, but aside from this, nothing else is published about it, [6] thus the name was officially an invalid nomen nudum . This situation was rectified by the Swiss taxonomist Carl Meissner in 1856, when he validated the name with a formal species description in the Prodromus book series of botanical taxonomy begun by Augustin Pyramus de Candolle. [11]

Type

Drège made a number of different dried and flattened exsiccata specimen sheets from his Vrolykheid collection, and these he traded or sold across Europe. One sheet found its way into the herbarium of George Bentham, and when he decided to get rid of his collection in 1854 he donated it to the Kew Botanical Gardens, where, in the herbarium there, it still remains housed today. It was designated an isotype by the South African botanist Edwin Percy Phillips, but half a century later, in 1960 the South African botanist Hedley Brian Rycroft realised that the sheet was composed of parts from different individual plants: one part was in fact P. amplexicaulis. [8] [9] [10] [note 2]

Classification

P. montana was classified in Protea section Crinitae by Tony Rebelo in 1995, what he calls the "eastern ground sugarbushes", along with P. foliosa, P. intonsa and P. vogtsiae. [12]

Description

Habitus

habitus Protea montana rebeccaryan iNat 39755290a.jpg
habitus

This plant is a low, prostrate shrub forming sprawling mats up to 4 metres (13 ft) wide. [5] [12] The main stem is subterranean. [7] The stems branching from that branch themselves numerous times, [12] but only grow above-ground to leaf and flower-bearing parts which are 4 inches (10 cm) long. [7]

Leaves

leaves Protea montana nicky iNat37819467b.jpg
leaves

It has linear to oblanceolate leaves, [7] [12] indistinctly veined and ending in a sharp mucronate point, which grow up to 1.75–3 inches (4.4–7.6 cm) in length, and 1.6 to 3.7mm in width. The base of the leaves attenuates gradually to the broadest point. The leaves are adpressly hairy, soon becoming glabrous. [7]

Flowers

flower head Protea montana rebeccaryen iNat 39755299a.jpg
flower head

The inflorescences are specialised structures called pseudanthia, also known simply as flower heads, containing hundred of reduced flowers, called florets. These flower heads are sessile in this species, lacking a peduncle and growing directly from the stem. The flower heads are 2 inches (5.1 cm) long and 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in diameter, and are completely covered in leaves. The inflorescences are surrounded by six to seven series of petal-like appendages known as 'involucral bracts'. The outer bracts are ovate and covered in silky-pubescent hairs, and grow until they become long and leaf-like. The inner bracts are oblong to spathulate-oblong, are fringed with ciliate hairs along their margins, have the same type of silky-pubescent indumentum on their outside surfaces and are the same length as the actual flowers. [7]

The plant is monoecious, both sexes occur in each flower. [5] The petals and sepals of the florets are fused into a tube-like, 23.3mm long perianth-sheath which is membranous, dilated and glabrous at the very base, but otherwise largely covered in reddish pubescence. The sheath is furthermore dilated, having three keels and five veins on the lower part. The sheath has a lip (pollen-presenter) which is 10.6mm long. The lip has three prongs, and is glabrous on the lower portion except for the ciliate margin, but increasingly covered in pubescence near the apex, and ending in a dense woolly tuft. The two prongs at the sides are 4.2mm long, linear in shape and woolly, whereas the middle prong is 2.1mm long, linear and woolly. All of the stamens are fertile. The filament is 1mm long and swollen. The anthers are linear and 5.3mm long. The apical glands are 0.5mm long, ovate in shape, and end in a somewhat sharp apex. The ovary is 4.2mm long, oblong-elliptic, and covered with long, reddish-brown hairs. The style is 23.3mm long, falcate and glabrous, narrowing from the base upwards and flattened at the upper parts. The finely channeled stigma is 5.3 long, ends in a blunt point, and almost imperceptibly joins and becomes the style. [7]

Similar species

P. montana is the only mat-forming species in the section Crinitae, but the leaves are similar to those of P. intonsa, which also occurs in the same mountain ranges; this is a much smaller, tuft-forming species with almost completely subterranean stems. [12] In his original 1856 species description, working from incomplete herbarium sheets, Meissner states he finds the species to be dubious, and questions if it was not some variety of P. scolymocephala. [11] Drège himself appears to have confused P. montana with P. amplexicaulis, as one flower head of that species is mixed with the P. montana material on the specimen housed at Kew, [9] [10] and in 1897 Phillips also (briefly) misidentified a Kew specimen of P. scabriuscula as P. montana. [13]

Distribution

Protea montana is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa. [4] It is found in the Swartberg and Kammanassie Mountains. [4] [5] The extent of occurrence (the total area of the region in which it might be found) is 1447 km2, but the amount of area it actually occupies, the area of occupancy, is only 112 km2. Only occurring near mountain summits, the different population fragments are scattered throughout the range, especially being fragmented in the Kammanassie Mountains. [4] The spatial distribution is as solitary plants found sporadically in the landscape. [5]

Ecology

The mature plants are killed by the periodic wildfires which pass over their range, but the seeds can survive such an event. The blooms are produced from February to June. [5] The florets are pollinated by rodents. The seeds are stored in the old, dry, fire-resistant infructescence, [4] [5] and are released from them after two years, [5] after fires have passed through the land. [4] The seeds are dispersed by means of the wind. [4] [5]

In 1829 Drège originally collected it growing in rocky locations, [8] [9] together with the other plant species Restio laniger , Seriphium plumosum , Leucadendron dregei , and a Sorocephalus , Erica , Hoplophyllum and Calopsis of some kind. [6]

Habitat

It is found on mountain tops and their steep upper slopes, between 1,600 and 2,000 metres in altitude. [4] [5] It occurs in montane fynbos habitat in sandstone-derived substrates, on south-facing slopes. [4]

Conservation

It is rare. [5] Threats to its continued survival are the planting of trees (afforestation), invasive plants and a wildfire management regime which is too frequent to allow the plants time to mature and set seed. [4]

In 2005, Bomhard et al. predicted, based on their reading of models projecting the effects of climate change, that 30% of the population of the time would be extirpated by 2020, which would then qualify the species for upgrading its conservation status from 'not threatened' to 'vulnerable' according to the IUCN conservation status standards. Bomhard et al. argued that the projected possibility of future population reduction should go to counting as actual population reduction in the present, and that species which their computer model had so designated (223 of 227) should be upgraded as much rarer. [14] In 2009, the South African National Biodiversity Institute complied with this, and formally assessed the conservation status of the species for the Red List of South African Plants as 'vulnerable'. In the 2019 re-assessment, SANBI mischaracterises the Bomhard study and moved up the date when the species would be reduced by 30% to 2025, maintaining the conservation status as 'vulnerable'. The total population numbers were thought to be decreasing in 2019, especially on the Kammanassie Mountains. [4]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The date 1840 is written on the herbarium specimen sheet at Kew, but this is doubtlessly not the collection date, as Drège had long returned to Europe by that time. Note Kew has indexed the same sheet three times.
  2. ↑ Note Kew has indexed the same sheet differently three times.

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

Protea magnifica, commonly known as the queen protea, is a shrub, which belongs to the genus Protea within the family Proteaceae, and which is native to South Africa.

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

Protea effusa, sometimes known as the scarlet sugarbush, is a flowering plant which belongs to the genus Protea. The plant is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa. In the Afrikaans language the vernacular name blosrooisuikerbos has been recorded for this plant.

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

Protea recondita, also known as the hidden sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea within the family Proteaceae, which is endemic to the Cape Region of South Africa, and distributed from the Piketberg and Cederberg to the Groot Winterhoek mountains. The flowers of this unusual plant are pollinated by non-flying mammals: rodents and elephant shrews. In the Afrikaans language it is known as gesigtoehouprotea or skaamroos.

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

Protea sulphurea, also known as the sulphur sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea in the family Proteaceae, which is only known to grow in the wild in the Western Cape province of South Africa. A vernacular name for the plant in the Afrikaans language is heuningkoeksuikerbos or Skaamblom.

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

Protea foliosa, also known as the leafy sugarbush, is a flowering plant of the genus Protea in the family Proteaceae which is endemic to the Cape Region of South Africa. In the Afrikaans language it is known as ruie-suikerbos.

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

Protea intonsa, also known as the tufted sugarbush, is a species of flowering plant in 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 vogtsiae</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea vogtsiae, also known as the Kouga sugarbush, is a small flowering shrub of the genus Protea within the family Proteaceae, which is only found growing in the wild in the southern Cape Region of South Africa.

<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 burchellii</i> Species of flowering plant

Protea burchellii, also known as Burchell's sugarbush, is a flowering shrub in the genus Protea, which is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa.

<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.

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

Protea lorea, also known as the thong-leaf sugarbush, is a flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea.

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

Protea pruinosa, also known as frosted sugarbush or burnished protea, is a flowering shrub which belongs to the genus Protea within the botanical family Proteaceae. The plant is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa.

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

Protea scabra, also known as the sandpaper-leaf sugarbush, is a flowering groundcover that belongs to the genus Protea. The plant is endemic to South Africa and is found from the Hottentots Holland Mountains across the Riviersonderend Mountains, the Kleinrivier Mountains and around the town of Caledon to the Swartberg mountains.

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

Protea convexa, also known as large-leaf sugarbush, is a rare flowering shrub in the genus Protea of the family Proteaceae, which is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa.

<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 punctata</i> Species of flowering plant

Protea punctata, also known as the water sugarbush or water white sugarbush, is a shrub belonging to the genus Protea which is found growing in the wild in South Africa.

<i>Protea decurrens</i> South African shrub

Protea decurrens, also known as linear-leaf sugarbush, is a shrub of the genus Protea, in the Proteaceae family, which is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa. It is a small shrub with a thick underground rootstock, this structure throwing up numerous leafy branches, upon the base of which clusters of flower heads may appear close to the ground. It is pollinated by rodents and grows in low-altitude fynbos or renosterveld.

References

  1. ↑ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Protea montana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113210805A185548058. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113210805A185548058.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "Protea montana". International Plant Names Index . The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Protea montana E.Mey. ex Meisn". Plants of the World Online . Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2017. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (31 March 2019). "Swartberg Sugarbush". Red List of South African Plants. version 2020.1. South African National Biodiversity Institute . Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Eastern Ground Sugarbushes - Proteas". Protea Atlas Project Website. 11 March 1998. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 Drège, Jean François (1843). Zwei pflanzengeographische Documente (in German). Regensburg: Regensburgische Botanische Gesellschaft (Flora). pp. 63, 213. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.87612.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Stapf, Otto; Phillips, Edwin Percy (January 1912). "CXVII. Proteaceæ". In Thiselton-Dyer, William Turner (ed.). Flora Capensis; being a systematic description of the plants of the Cape Colony, Caffraria & Port Natal. 5. Vol. 1. London: Lovell Reeve & Co. pp. 605, 606. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.821.
  8. 1 2 3 "Specimen Details K000423649". Kew Herbarium Catalogue. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Specimen Details K000423648". Kew Herbarium Catalogue. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 "Specimen Details K000423650". Kew Herbarium Catalogue. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  11. 1 2 Meissner, Carl Daniel Friedrich (October 1856). "Ordo CLXIV. Proteaceæ (1)". In de Candolle, Alphonse (ed.). Prodromus systematis naturalis regni vegetabilis, sive, Enumeratio contracta ordinum generum specierumque plantarum huc usque cognitarium, juxta methodi naturalis, normas digesta (in Latin). Vol. 14. Paris: Sumptibus Sociorum Treuttel et Würtz. p. 240. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.286.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Peter, Craig I.; Dold, A. P.; Melidonis, Caitlin A.; Abraham, Susan (2017). "Protea foliosa" (PDF). Flowering Plants of Africa . 65: 42–48. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  13. ↑ "Specimen Details K000423611". Kew Herbarium Catalogue. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  14. ↑ Bomhard, Bastian; Richardson, David M.; Donaldson, John S.; Hughes, Greg O.; Midgley, Guy F.; Raimondo, Domitilla C.; Rebelo, Anthony G.; Rouget, Mathieu; Thuiller, Wilfried (25 July 2005). "Potential impacts of future land use and climate change on the Red List status of the Proteaceae in the Cape Floristic Region, South Africa". Global Change Biology. 11 (9): 1452–1468. Bibcode:2005GCBio..11.1452B. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2005.00997.x. hdl: 10019.1/116833 . Retrieved 10 September 2020.
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