Protea nubigena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Cloud sugarbush | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Protea |
| Species: | P. nubigena |
| Binomial name | |
| Protea nubigena | |
Protea nubigena, commonly known as cloud sugarbush,[2][3] is a very rare species of a flowering shrub belonging to the Protea genus. It is endemic to KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa[2][4] and is found in the uKhahlamba Basalt Grassland within the Royal Natal National Park, near Mont-Aux-Sources, at an altitude of about 2,250 metres (7,380 ft) in well-drained, humus-rich soil on shaded slopes.[2][5]
The plant grows as an erect shrub which is up to 70 cm (28 in) high, and blooms from March to April. It is a long-lived species, and survives fires by resprouting from underground boles or rootstocks. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower; the wind-dispersed seeds are not stored on the plant and are released immediately after ripening. It is pollinated by birds.[2][3]
