Leucadendron

Leucadendron is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, endemic to South Africa, where they are a prominent part of the fynbos ecoregion and vegetation type.

Description

Leucadendrons are evergreen shrubs or small trees growing up to 1–16 m tall. The leaves are spirally arranged, simple, entire, and usually green, often covered with a waxy bloom, and in the case of the Silvertree, with a distinct silvery tone produced by dense silky hairs.

The flowers are produced in dense inflorescences; they are dioecious, with separate male and female plants.

The seed head is a woody cone-like structure, containing numerous seeds; the seed morphology is varied and reflects subgeneric groupings within the genus. A few such as the Silvertree have a silky-haired parachute, enabling the large round nut to be dispersed by wind. A few are rodent dispersed, cached by rats, and a few have elaiosomes and are dispersed by ants. About half the species store the seeds in fire-proof cones and only release them after a fire has killed the plants. Almost all species only recruit naturally after fires.

Species

Selected species include

Gallery

See also

• Index: Fynbos