Serruria brownii

{{Speciesbox

| image = Serruria brownii KirstenboschBotGard09292010B.jpg

| status = EN

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |title=Serruria brownii |author1=Rebelo, A.G. |author2=Mtshali, H. |author3=Koopman, R. |author4=van der Merwe, J. |author5=Raimondo, D. |year=2020 |volume=2020 |page=e.T185421268A185545236 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T185421268A185545236.en |url=https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/185421268/185545236}}

| genus = Serruria

| species = brownii

| authority = Meisn.

}}

Serruria brownii, the bottlebrush spiderhead, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the family Proteaceae and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa.

Description

File:Honey Bee on Bottlebrush Spiderhead (Serruria brownii) (32575599320).jpg

The shrub is erect and grows only {{Convert|50|cm|in|abbr=on}} tall and bears flowers from June to October.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}} Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive. Two months after flowering, the fruit falls off and ants disperse the seeds. They store the seeds in their nests. The plant is bisexual. Pollination takes place through the action of insects.

In Afrikaans, it is known as {{Lang|af|fleskwasbos}}.{{Cite web|url=http://pza.sanbi.org/serruria-brownii|title=Serruria brownii | PlantZAfrica|website=pza.sanbi.org}}

Distribution and habitat

The plant occurs on the plains from Hopefield to Tygerberg. It grows mainly in granite soil, shale and thick sand at altitudes of {{Convert|50|-|250|m|abbr=on}}.

Gallery

Serruria brownii KirstenboschBotGard09292010C.JPG

Serruria brownii KirstenboschBotGard09292010E.JPG

Serruria brownii KirstenboschBotGard09292010D.JPG

References

{{Reflist|

{{Cite web|url=http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=807-19|title=Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants|website=redlist.sanbi.org}}

{{Cite web|url=http://www.proteaatlas.org.za/spider2.htm|title=Stalkless Spiderheads|website=www.proteaatlas.org.za}}

}}

brownii

Category:Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces

Category:Plants described in 1856

Category:Taxa named by Carl Meissner