Protea angolensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Protea
Species:
P. angolensis
Binomial name
Protea angolensis
Synonyms[1]
  • Protea chionantha Engl. & Gilg
  • Protea urundinensis Hauman
  • Protea wangenheimii Engl.

Protea angolensis is also known as the Angolan protea,[1] northern protea[1] or northern sugarbush.[2] In Afrikaans it is known as the noordelijke suikerbos.[2] This is a dwarf, multistemmed shrub or small straggling tree occurring in open wooded grassland and miombo.[2][3]

Description

The leaves are leathery and hairless, green to bluish-green, oval-shaped, and measure 16 cm × 8 cm (6.3 in × 3.1 in) in size. The inflorescences (flowerheads) are solitary and may grow to approximately 10 cm × 12 cm (3.9 in × 4.7 in) in size,[2] sometimes smaller, 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) in diameter.[1] The involucral bracts a pale green to bright pink or red colour. The inner bracts may be either heavily or sparely covered in silvery silky hairs.[2] This difference is often due to the age of the inflorescence, the hairs falling off as the structure becomes older.[1] The fruit is a densely hairy nut.[2]

GBIF recognizes three varieties:[4]

  • var. divaricata: A small tree to 4 m (13 ft) in height.[2][3] Occurs in miombo. It flowers later than the nominate form, from April to July.[1] The flowers and bracts are bright pink, dark pink to red.[3]
  • var. roseola
  • var. trichanthera

Distribution

This species occurs in northern, central and eastern Zimbabwe,[2][5] throughout Zambia, western Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, southern and western Tanzania,[1] northern Malawi[6] and to a limited extent in Mozambique[2] (only in Tete).[1] In Zambia it occurs throughout the country, and has been recorded in North-Western Province, Northern Province[7] (Bangweulu Wetlands),[3] Lusaka Province, Southern Province and Western Province.[7]

Ecology

The species is the host plant for the larvae of the butterflies Capys disjunctus and C. connexivus.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Hyde, Mark; Wursten, Bart; Ballings, Petra; Coates Palgrave, Meg (2000). "Protea angolensis Welw. var. angolensis". Flora of Mozambique. Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 van Wyk, Braam; van Wyk, Piet (1997). Field Guide to trees of South Africa. Cape Town: Struik. p. 212, 213. ISBN 1-86825-922-6.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Huchzermeyer, Carl (February 2011). "Zambian plants". BangweuluFish. Carl Huchzermeyer. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "Protea angolensis Welw". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
  5. ↑ Hyde, Mark; Wursten, Bart; Ballings, Petra; Coates Palgrave, Meg (2000). "Protea angolensis Welw. var. angolensis". Flora of Zimbabwe. Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  6. ↑ Hyde, Mark; Wursten, Bart; Ballings, Petra; Coates Palgrave, Meg (2000). "Protea angolensis Welw. var. angolensis". Flora of Malawi. Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave. Retrieved 13 July 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Flora of Zambia: Species information: Protea angolensis var. angolensis". www.zambiaflora.com. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
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