''Leucadendron macowanii'', the acacia-leaf conebush, is a flower-bearing

shrub A shrub (often also called a bush) is a small-to-medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees ...

that belongs to the genus '' Leucadendron'' and forms part of the

fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. This area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean clim ...

. The plant is native to the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

. The flowers of Leucadendron macowanii are composed of bracts that create a cone-like appearance. The bracts come in a range of colors, including shades of green, pink, and red, making it an attractive ornamental plant. These flowers are often used in floral arrangements and landscaping. Leucadendron macowanii is adapted to the

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

of the region and can tolerate dry conditions and poor soils. It is known for its ability to regenerate after wildfires, as the plant stores seeds in specialized structures known as "fruiting cones." In its natural habitat, Leucadendron macowanii is an important component of the fynbos vegetation, a diverse and unique plant community found in the Western Cape of South Africa.

Description

The shrub grows tall and bears flowers in May to July. Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive. The seeds are stored in a toll on the female plant and are released where they fall to the ground and are possibly spread by the wind. The plant is

unisexual Dioecy (; ; adj. dioecious , ) is a characteristic of a species, meaning that it has distinct individual organisms (unisexual) that produce male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproductio ...

and there are male and female plant and propagate by wind pollination. In Afrikaans, it is known as .

Distribution and habitat

The plant it is found in the

Cape Peninsula The Cape Peninsula ( af, Kaapse Skiereiland) is a generally mountainous peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean at the south-western extremity of the African continent. At the southern end of the peninsula are Cape Point and the Cape of ...

at Smitswinkel Bay and Wynberg. The plant grows mainly in moist sandy soil near streams at altitudes of .

References

External links

Threatened Species Programme , SANBI Red List of South African PlantsLeucadendron macowanii E.Phillips
{{Taxonbar, from=Q18077377 macowanii