Biology
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A number of bird species are attracted to the brightly coloured flower heads produced by the limestone sugarbush during the cool, wet winter months of June and July (7) (9). As the birds feed on the flowers' abundant nectar, their feathers become coated in pollen, which is then transferred to the flower heads of other plants visited, thereby facilitating this species' pollination (9).
Like many fynbos species, the reproduction of the limestone sugarbush is absolutely dependent on fire. After pollination, the multiple flowers making up the flower heads develop into small, hard nuts, each containing a single seed, which remain on the plant until the occurrence of a wild fire (5) (7). Wild fires, which are regularly triggered in the hot, dry conditions of summer and autumn, spread rapidly through fynbos and, although they destroy the adult limestone sugarbush plants, they release the seeds and promote their germination, thereby establishing a new generation of plants (3) (7).
Conservation
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In 1999, the Agulhas National Park was established and, although still in development, it represents a significant conservation achievement, protecting large areas of limestone fynbos and, thereby, preserving the region's unique species, including the spectacular limestone sugarbush (8) (11).
Description
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The limestone sugarbush belongs to the Proteaceae family, a hugely diverse group of plants well-known in South Africa for their bright, showy flower heads (3). This species is no exception, producing large, cone-shaped flower heads, up 12 centimetres long (4), which are formed from clusters of numerous tiny flowers (5). The flower heads are encircled by modified leaves, which vary from white to vivid shades of red. The leaves on the rest of the plant are dark green, elongated and leathery, and have a strong upward curve (4). Reaching around two to four metres in height, the limestone sugarbush usually takes the form of a large, roundish shrub, but some specimens may be more tree-like, developing spreading branches and a trunk of up to 60 centimetres in diameter (4) (6).
Habitat
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The limestone sugarbush is a component of fynbos, a plant community unique to the Cape Floristic Region. This species has specific habitat requirements and only grows in the alkaline soil found in potholes and depressions in the low limestone hills and flats of the Agulhas Plain (7) (8).
Range
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The limestone sugarbush is only found on the Agulhas Plain, on the southern coast of the Western Cape Province of South Africa (4) (7) (8).
Status
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Classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the Interim Red Data List of South African Plant Taxa (2).
Threats
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Unfortunately, many parts of the Agulhas Plain have been degraded by the construction of coastal resorts and conversion to agriculture. In addition, introduced species such as Australian wattles have overtaken much of the native vegetation, outcompeting native plants and exhausting underground water sources (10). With its range restricted to a single, relatively small region, the limestone sugarbush is particularly vulnerable to these ongoing threats.
Protea obtusifolia
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Protea obtusifolia: Brief Summary
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Protea obtusifolia is a species of Protea. It is native to the Cape Provinces of South Africa.
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