Protea witzenbergiana

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Protea witzenbergiana
Protea witzenbergiana 94973312.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Protea
Species:
P. witzenbergiana
Binomial name
Protea witzenbergiana

Protea witzenbergiana, or Swan sugarbush, [3] [4] [5] is a flowering shrub of the genus Protea . [5]

Contents

Taxonomy

Protea witzenbergiana was first described by Edwin Percy Phillips in 1910, from specimens found growing in the Witzenberg range by Karl Ludwig Philipp Zeyher and William John Burchell. [2] [6] [7]

Description

The shrub spreads out and can become three metres in diameter and half a metre high. [5] It blooms in Autumn to early Winter, from March to June with the peak in April to May. [4] [5]

Distribution

The plant is endemic to the Western Cape, South Africa, [3] and occurs from the Cederberg, [4] [5] through the Koue Bokkeveld Mountains [4] and the Witzenberg, to Hex River Mountains and the Bokkerivier Mountains. [5] It is found near the towns of Tulbagh and Ceres. [6]

It is somewhat similar to Protea pityphylla and P. pendula. [6]

Ecology

Potential wildfires destroy the shrub, but the seeds can survive such an event. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower. It is thought that rodents are probably responsible for pollination. The seeds are spread by the wind. The plant grows on mountainous slopes at altitudes of 750 to 1,800 metres. [5]

Conservation

The population is considered stable. [3]

Related Research Articles

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

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.

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

Protea speciosa, also known as the brown-beard sugarbush, is a flowering shrub which is classified as within 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 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 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 scabriuscula</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae

Protea scabriuscula, also known as the hoary sugarbush or gray sugarbush, is a flowering shrub, 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 witzenbergiana". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2020: e.T113221698A185591437. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113221698A185591437.en . Retrieved 18 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 "Protea witzenbergiana | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (14 June 2019). "Swan Sugarbush". Red List of South African Plants. version 2020.1. South African National Biodiversity Institute . Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Protea witzenbergiana (Swan sugarbush)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko - Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Rose Sugarbushes - Proteas". Protea Atlas Project Website. 11 March 1998. Retrieved 14 July 2020.
  6. 1 2 3 Phillips, Edwin Percy (1910). "Diagnoses Africanae: XXXVII". Bulletin of Miscellaneous Information, Royal Gardens, Kew (in Latin). 1910 (7): 234. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  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. p. 594, 595. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.821.