Protea restionifolia

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Protea restionifolia
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Protea
Species:
P. restionifolia
Binomial name
Protea restionifolia
Synonyms [2]

Protea restionifolia, which is also known as the Reed-leaf sugarbush, [2] [3] [4] is a flowering shrub endemic to the Western Cape province of South Africa where it is found from the upper part of the Breede River Valley through the Bot River Valley to Wolseley and the Koue Bokkeveld Mountains. [2] [4]

Contents

Other vernacular names which have been recorded for this species are grass-leaf sugarbush and restio-leaf erodendrum. In Afrikaans it is known as the bruingrondsuikerbos. [5]

Description

The shrub forms a dense root-like mat of rhizomes of up to one meter in diameter. [4] This species has evolved to have thin, round reed-like leaves, very similar to the restios it shares its habitat with. P. restionifolia flowers in spring, [3] blooming from August to October, peaking in September. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower. [4]

It is rarely confused with other species in the field, but is similar to P. piscina and P. revoluta. It can easily be distinguished from these species by having extremely narrow and hairy, as opposed to completely glabrous, leaves which are tightly rolled into round needles. Other similar species are P. scabra which has much broader leaves, P. lorea which has longer and glabrous needles as leaves, and P. scorzoneriifolia. The small yellow inflorescences ('flower-heads') are also distinctive. [5]

Ecology

According to some sources pollination probably occurs through rodents, although this is based on a single observation. [4] [5] Another newer source states that it is pollinated by birds and insects. [2]

The plant sprouts again after burning from an underground bole. [4] The seeds are released one to two years after flowers are formed and are spread by wind. The plant grows in dry areas in fynbos-karoo or fynbos-renosterveld at altitudes of 150-300 m.

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

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.

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

Protea angustata, also known as the Kleinmond sugarbush, is a flowering shrub that belongs to the genus Protea. This plant is endemic to the south-west 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 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 nana</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea nana, also known as the mountain rose or mountain-rose sugarbush, is a flowering shrub which belongs within the genus Protea.

<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 lorifolia</i> Species of shrub

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.

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

Protea aspera, commonly known as rough leaf sugar bush or aardroos suikerbos, is a flowering shrub that belongs to the well-known Protea genus. The plant is endemic to South Africa and is found at Kleinrivierberg, Bredasdorpberg and Garcia's Pass.

<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 laevis</i> Species of shrub

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

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 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 humiflora</i> Species of plant

Protea humiflora, the patentleaf sugarbush, is a flower-bearing shrub belonging to the Protea genus. The plant is endemic to South Africa and occurs from the Du Toitskloof Mountains to the Langeberg and Waboomsberg. The plant grows to 2 m in diameter and flowers from July to September with its peak in August.

References

  1. Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Protea restionifolia". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113215054A185566960. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113215054A185566960.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (14 June 2011). "Reed-leaf Sugarbush". Red List of South African Plants. version 2020.1. South African National Biodiversity Institute . Retrieved 11 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Protea restionifolia (Reed-leaf sugarbush)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko - Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Dwarf-tufted Sugarbushes - Proteas". Protea Atlas Project Website. 11 March 1998. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 Tony Rebelo (25 January 2008). Protea Atlas (PDF) (Report). South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch, Cape Town. p. 20-22. Retrieved 11 July 2020.