Protea parvula | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Order: | Proteales |
Family: | Proteaceae |
Genus: | Protea |
Species: | P. parvula |
Binomial name | |
Protea parvula | |
Protea parvula, also known as the dainty sugarbush, [3] [4] [5] or kleinsuikerbos in Afrikaans,[ citation needed ] is a small flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea . [3] [5]
It was first described in 1958 from Mpumalanga (then part of the former Transvaal province) by John Stanley Beard. [2]
It is a low-growing, creeping, shrubby groundcover, growing only up to 16cm in height. [5]
Sources differ on the ability of this species to survive wildfires. According to one source it is long-lived, with plants surviving over a century, and can regrow after fire from an underground bole or rootstock, [3] another source states the plant is killed by fire. [5] The seeds are released by the plant as soon as the woody fruit is ripe, from April to July, and are dispersed by the wind. [3] [5] The seeds are fire-proof, and simply lie on the ground until germination. [5]
Protea parvula flowers in the summer, [4] from December to March. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower. [5] The flowers are pollinated by birds. [3] [5]
Protea parvula is found on the slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains, from Mariepskop, [3] [5] through Mpumalanga and eSwatini, [3] [5] [6] to Vryheid in central northern KwaZulu-Natal. [3] [5] It grows in rocky, exposed grassland on acid soils, at altitudes of 1,300 to 2,150 meters. [3] [5]
In 1996 it was assessed as "not threatened" in the Red data list of southern African plants, but in 2009 it was re-assessed as "near threatened", due to an estimated population reduction of 20-30%, caused by a loss of 28% of its natural habitat over the past century. It is primarily threatened by the planting of forests of non-native pine trees (afforestation) as well as mining for soapstone. [3] It may, however, be locally common. [5]
The species is protected in the Malolotja Nature Reserve in eSwatini. [4]
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.
Protea gaguedi is a species of tree which belongs to the genus Protea.
Protea laurifolia, also known as the grey-leaf sugarbush, is a shrub from South Africa. It is native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
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.
Protea scolymocephala, also known as the thistle protea or thistle sugarbush, is a flowering plant from the genus Protea native to South Africa.
Protea acaulos, also known as the common ground sugarbush, is a flowering plant found in the southwestern Cape Region, South Africa. It is also simply known as ground protea; in the Afrikaans language it is known as an aardroos.
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.
Protea namaquana, also known as the Kamiesberg sugarbush, is a flowering plant which belongs to the genus Protea. The plant is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa, in particular the Kamiesberg mountains of Namaqualand in the Northern Cape province. The species has a worldwide distribution of only 18 km2. It is regarded as critically endangered. In the Afrikaans language it has the vernacular name is Kamiesbergsuikerbos.
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.
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.
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.
Protea dracomontana, the Nyanga protea or the Drakensberg sugarbush, 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, as well as eastern Zimbabwe. In Zimbabwe this species is only known from a disjunct subpopulation confined to the summit of Mount Nyangani.
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.
Protea speciosa, also known as the brown-beard sugarbush, is a flowering shrub which is classified as within the genus Protea.
Protea witzenbergiana, or Swan sugarbush, is a flowering shrub of the genus Protea.
Protea lorea, also known as the thong-leaf sugarbush, is a flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea.
Protea lorifolia, in English called the strap-leaved sugarbush, strap-leaved protea or strap-leaf sugarbush is a flowering shrub which belongs to the genus Protea.
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.
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.
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.