Protea pityphylla

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Protea pityphylla
Protea pityphylla 1DS-II 3-5561.jpg
Protea pityphylla in 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. pityphylla
Binomial name
Protea pityphylla

Protea pityphylla, also known as Ceres sugarbush [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] or mountain rose (along with a number of similar species), [4] is a flowering shrub of the genus Protea , in the family Proteaceae. [3] [4] [5] The plant is endemic to the southwestern Cape Region of South Africa. [3] [8]

Contents

Names

In the Afrikaans language the vernacular names hekskaamblom [7] and less specifically skaamblom have been recorded for this plant, [6] skaamblom being a name it shares with other similar proteas. The name skaamblom translates as 'shy' or 'bashful' flower, and possibly refers to the nodding, downward-pointing inflorescences. [9] [10] It was first attested in the 1929 article titled Gewone Plantname in die Distrik Riversdal by Muir in Die Huisgenoot for the species Protea nana . [11]

Taxonomy

Protea pityphylla was first described by Edwin Percy Phillips in 1910. [2] [12] It was collected 27 years earlier, in 1883, by the British botanist A. A. Bodkin (collection #6089) at an elevation of 549 metres on the Michell's Pass through the Skurweberge. When his collections were studied at the Bolus Herbarium, they were first identified as 'Protea cf. canaliculata (in 1886), until Phillips recognised it as a new species. [13] Phillips neglected to supply a clear type for any of the species he described in 1910, [12] but in 1912 Otto Stapf designated three sets of specimens to typify Phillips' new species: the Bodkin collection and two collections by Peter MacOwan made at the same locality, including one in his personal herbarium (#2907). [12] [14] Syntypes of Bodkin's original collections are housed at the herbarium at Kew [13] and the Bolus Herbarium. [14] MacOwan also exchanged specimen sheets to herbaria around the world with his Herbarium Normale Austro–Africanum series, which he used to build up the collection of the Government Herbarium at Cape Town. One of the sheets in this series, #913, is a collection of this species from the same Pass collected by MacOwan likely sometime in the late 1880s, was also used by Phillips, and designated as a syntype by Stapf -albeit that there were copies in many herbaria. [12] [14] [15]

P. pityphylla was classified in Protea section Pinifolia by Tony Rebelo in 1995, what he calls the "rose sugarbushes", along with P. acuminata, P. canaliculata, P. nana, P. scolymocephala and P. witzenbergiana. [6]

Description

This plant is a shrub which can grow to become up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height, which can grow with either somewhat erect branches [5] or branches which have a more sprawling form. [5] [7] The stems are glabrous. [6] [14] Plants can flower from about five years of age. [7]

The leaves are linear and needle-like, [4] [6] [14] ending in a piercingly sharp point. [12] [14] They point upwards (are ascending) and/or secund. The leaves are 1mm wide and 4–9 centimetres (1.6–3.5 in) in length, [6] glabrous, slightly grooved or channelled, [6] [14] and bright green in colour. [6] [7] The top side of the leaf is minutely, but prominently, ribbed (costate). [14]

It blooms in the early winter, [4] [7] with the peak in May to July, but potentially from May to September. [5] The inflorescences are specialised structures called pseudanthia, also known simply as flower heads, containing hundred of reduced flowers, called florets. [6] The flower heads are sessile. [14] The flower heads are cup-shaped, [6] dropping and pendulous, [4] [7] [14] coloured red, [4] 1.5–1.75 inches (3.8–4.4 cm) in length, [14] and 5–8 centimetres (2.0–3.1 in) in diameter. The flower heads are surrounded by a series of seven rows of petal or scale-like 'involucral bracts'. [14] These bracts are all glabrous. [6] [14] The lowest outer bracts grow into long, leafy structures resembling the leaves. The outer bracts are ovate, acuminate, [14] 15 to 20mm long [6] and can end either in a sharp point [12] [14] or with a rounded tip. [14] The inner bracts are longer than the actual florets. [6] [14] They are oblong and slightly concave. [14] It is monoecious, both sexes occur in each flower. [5] The petals and sepals of the florets are fused into a tube-like, dilated, 16.9mm long perianth-sheath. This sheath is scarious (dry, thin, membranous), having three keels and seven veins on the lower part. The lower part is glabrous, but the upper is covered in reddish setulose (bristly) hairs. The sheath has a lip which is 5.6mm long. This lip has three keels, is setose (densely bristly) on the lower part and ends with three teeth, all three teeth roughly or almost the same length (0.53mm). All of the stamens are fertile. The filament is 0.53mm long, dilated and concave. The anthers are oblong-linear and 3.5mm long. The apical glands are 0.28 in length, ovate in shape, with a somewhat sharp tip (subacute), and somewhat swollen on the inner face. The ovary is 2.1mm long, obovate-oblong in shape, and covered in long, reddish-yellow hairs. It has hypogynous scales which are 1mm in length and oval-oblong in shape. The style is 2.3 centimetres (0.91 in) long, broadened and very much compressed (flat) for about 6.4mm from the base, and after this portion becoming very constricted, subulate and bending strongly -this slender portion is glabrous and arches inward, but with an oblique angle, thus not towards the centre of the flower head but aiming somewhat behind the centre. The stigma is 3.5mm long and has an obtuse (blunt) end. [14]

Similar species

It is quite distinctive in appearance, with long leaves for a needle-leaved Protea . It is closely related to P. witzenbergiana, but this larger species has shorter leaves which are coloured grey as opposed to bright green, and hairy stems which creep along the ground. It is also related to the P. nana, but this species has smaller flower heads. [7] It was initially confused with P. canaliculata, [13] another relative in the section Pinifolia. [6] Phillips, when he originally described it in 1910, compared it with P. rosacea, as P. nana was known at the time, but distinguishes it by having outer bracts that end in a sharp point, and also with P. witzenbergiana, distinguishing it by longer leaves and a larger flower head. [12] In his key to the species of Protea in 1912, Stapf also groups these three species together, finding it most similar to P. witzenbergiana. He distinguishes the two species from each other by the leaf length, but also by P. witzenbergiana having branches clothed in shaggy (villous) hairs as opposed to a glabrous surface. The two are distinguished from P. rosacea (P. nana) by having their lower-most involucral bracts growing into leafy-looking appendages. Staph thus discards the character of a sharp bract apex used Phillips, describing P. pityphylla as having variably a sharp or rounded tip. [14]

Distribution

This species has a very restricted range, occurring in an area of occupancy of only 88 km2, and it is known from only five localities. It is endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa. [3] Protea pityphylla is found on the mountains surrounding the Ceres valley: the Skurweberg Mountains, [4] [5] Hex River Mountains, [3] [5] [7] and Olifants River Mountains. [3] [5] In the Hex River Mountains it can be found from Ceres to the Sanddrift Peaks. [7] It occurs on Michell's Pass in the Skurweberge. [4] [13] There is an outlying population on the Dasklip Pass. [7] In the few locations where it does occur, it can grow relatively densely in small isolated stands. [5]

A view from the Dasklip Pass. Dasklip Pass01.jpg
A view from the Dasklip Pass.

Ecology

Protea pityphylla grows in mountainous areas in between large rocks and boulders, at altitudes of 500 to 1,500 metres. [5] The species is restricted to a single habitat which the same source describes as fynbos on sandstone-derived soils and later as high-altitude fynbos on shale-derived soils. [3] The periodic wildfires which burn through this habitat destroy the adult plants, but the seeds can survive such an event. The old, dry, woody, fire-resistant infructescences are persistently retained on the plant for a few years, with the ripe seeds stored inside. When finally released after fires kill the mother plant and open her infructescence, the seeds are dispersed by means of the wind. [3] [5] [7] They germinate during the autumn rains. [7]

In 1998 it was as yet unknown which creature may be responsible for pollination of the flowers, strangely, it produces very little nectar, [5] and yet it has the yeasty scent typical of a protea trying to attract rodents or other small mammals as pollinators. One source states it is probably pollinated by birds. [7] According to SANBI in 2019 birds and insects are thought to provide pollination. [3]

Conservation

Protea pityphylla is a rare plant. [5] Its conservation status was assessed in the 1980 book Threatened plants of southern Africa as 'rare'. In 1996 the South African National Botanical Institute, now the Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), assessed the plant for the Red data list of southern African plants, rating the status of the species as 'not threatened'. In 2009 SANBI re-assessed the status as 'near threatened', but in 2019, in a new assessment, it upgraded the status again to 'vulnerable'. A large amount of plants were eliminated in an area on the mountain above the town of Ceres in the 2010s in order to enlarge the municipal dam. Possible future threats to the species might be the further spread of invasive plants, as well as urban expansion of Ceres. [3] The invasive plants mentioned are specifically Pinus and Acacia , the local Working for Water Project is removing such trees with the stated goal of increasing runoff in the water catchment areas, although this has the added benefit of perhaps helping preserve P. pityphylla. [7] SANBI also lists unspecified natural disasters as a threat. Nonetheless SANBI reports that it believed that the population numbers had continued to remain unchanged as of 2019. [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 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 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 montana</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae endemic to South Africa

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

<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 dracomontana</i> Species of flowering shrub

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.

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

Protea witzenbergiana, or Swan sugarbush, is a flowering shrub of the genus Protea.

<i>Protea canaliculata</i> Species of shrub

Protea canaliculata, also known as the groove-leaf sugarbush, is a species of flowering shrub of the genus Protea, which is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.

<i>Protea laevis</i> Species of shrub

Protea laevis, also known as the smooth-leaf sugarbush, is a flowering shrub that belongs within the genus Protea.

<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 subulifolia</i> Species of flowering plant

Protea subulifolia, the awl-leaf sugarbush, is a flower-bearing shrub belonging to the Protea genus. The plant is native to the Western Cape and occurs from the Stettynskloof to Riviersonderendberge, Langeberg, Bot River to the Elim plain. The plant grows 50 cm in diameter and 70 cm tall and flowers from July to September.

<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.

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

Protea mucronifolia, the dagger-leaf sugarbush, is a flower-bearing shrub belonging to the Protea genus. The plant is endemic to the Western Cape where it occurs from Hermon to Saron. This is the only population. The shrub grows upright and grows 1 m tall and flowers from October to January with the peak from November to December.

References

  1. ↑ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Protea pityphylla". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113213205A185550381. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113213205A185550381.en . Retrieved 7 August 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Protea pityphylla". International Plant Names Index . The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (25 September 2019). "Ceres Sugarbush". Red List of South African Plants. version 2020.1. South African National Biodiversity Institute . Retrieved 16 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Protea pityphylla (Ceres sugarbush)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko - Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Rose Sugarbushes - Proteas". Protea Atlas Project Website. 11 March 1998. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Identifying Sugarbushes - Protea". Protea Atlas Project Website. 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Ceres Sugarbush Hekskaamblom - Protea pityphylla". Protea Atlas Project Website. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  8. ↑ "Protea pityphylla E.Phillips". Plants of the World Online . Kew Science. 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  9. ↑ Rosenthal, Eric (1967). Ensiklopedie van Suidelike Afrika (in Afrikaans). Translated by Pretorius, Jan H.L.; Pretorius, Elsa M. London: Frederick Warne. ISBN   9780723201441.
  10. ↑ "blushing bride, noun phrase". Dictionary of South African English. Dictionary Unit for South African English. 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  11. ↑ du P. Scholtz, J. (1941). Uit die Geskiedenis van die Naamgewing aan Plante en Diere in Afrikaans (in Afrikaans). Port Elizabeth: Nasionale Pers, Beperk. pp. 46, 100.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Phillips, Edwin Percy (1910). "Diagnoses Africanae: XXXVII". Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Royal Gardens, Kew (in Latin). 1910 (7): 234, 235. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Specimen Details K000423614". Kew Herbarium Catalogue. Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 15 September 2020.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Hutchinson, John; Phillips, Edwin Percy; Stapf, Otto (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. 559, 594. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.821.
  15. ↑ Plug, C. (23 April 2020). "MacOwan, Prof Peter (botany)". S2A3 Biographical Database of Southern African Science. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
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