Protea rubropilosa
| Protea rubropilosa | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Protea |
| Species: | P. rubropilosa
|
| Binomial name | |
| Protea rubropilosa | |
Protea rubropilosa, the Transvaal mountain sugarbush, is a flowering tree[2] that belongs to the well-known Protea genus. The plant is endemic to South Africa and occurs on the escarpment of the Drakensberg from Wolkberg to Lydenburg.
The tree is brushy, spreads out and becomes 8 m (26 ft) high. It blooms from September to December with the peak in October.[3] A fire destroys the tree but the seeds survive. The seed is released 9–12 months after flowering. The seed is spread by the wind. The plant is unisexual. Pollination occurs through the action of birds. The plant grows in sandstone and quartzite soils at altitudes of 1400–2300 m. In English it is known as the Transvaal sugarbush. The tree's national number is 97.[4][5][6]
References
- ^ "Protea rubropilosa | International Plant Names Index". www.ipni.org. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "Protea rubropilosa | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "Mountain Sugarbushes". www.proteaatlas.org.za. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "National List Of Indigenous Trees Occuring In South Africa". Treetags. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "Protea rubropilosa (Transvaal sugarbush)". biodiversityexplorer.info. Retrieved 7 July 2020.
- ^ "Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants". redlist.sanbi.org. Retrieved 7 July 2020.