Leucadendron rubrum

Leucadendron rubrum, the spinning top, is a flower-bearing shrub belonging to the genus Leucadendron and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa.

Leucadendron rubrum
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Leucadendron
Species:	L. rubrum
Binomial name
Leucadendron rubrum Burm.f.

Description

The shrub grows 2.5 m (8.2 ft) tall and flowers from August to September. Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive. The seeds are stored in a toll on the female plant and are released where they are spread by the wind. The seed has a parachute mechanism that allows it to float and rotate through the air. The plant is unisexual and there are male and female plants that reproduce by wind pollination.

In Afrikaans, it is known as Dikkopeierbos.

Distribution and habitat

The plant occurs in the Bokkeveld, Gifberg, Cederberg to the Hottentots Holland Mountains and Riviersonderend Mountains, Touwsberg, Rooiberg, Kammanassie Mountains, Piketberg, Table Mountain, and the Cape Flats. It grows mainly in granite or sandstone at altitudes of 250–1,500 m (820–4,920 ft).

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