''Leucadendron pondoense'', the Pondoland 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 Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

Leucadendron ''Leucadendron'' is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, endemic to South Africa, where they are a prominent part of the fynbos ecoregion and vegetation type. Description Species in the genus ''Leucadendron' ...

'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape is one of the provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are East London and Gqeberha. The second largest province in the country (at 168,966 km2) after Northern Cape, it was formed in ...

where it occurs in the

Pondoland Pondoland or Mpondoland (Xhosa: ''EmaMpondweni''), is a natural region on the South African shores of the Indian Ocean. It is located in the coastal belt of the Eastern Cape province. Its territory is the former Mpondo Kingdom of the Mpondo peopl ...

from

Port St. Johns Port St. Johns (or Port Saint Johns) is a town of about 6,500 people on the Wild Coast in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. It is situated at the mouth of the Umzimvubu River, northeast of East London and east of Mthatha. Port St. Jo ...

to Port Edward.

Description

The shrub grows tall and flowers from September to December. The plant dies after a fire but the seeds survive. The seeds are stored in a toll on the female plant and fall to the ground after a fire, possibly spreading 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 separate plants with male and female flowers, which are pollinated by the wind.

Distribution and habitat

The plant grows in river beds. The tree's national number is 81.4. In Afrikaans, it is known as ''Pondotolbos''.

Gallery

Leucadendron pondoense S-0036 143.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0035 142.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0038 145.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0039 146.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0040 147.jpg Leucadendron pondoense 1DS-II 1730.jpg Leucadendron pondoense 1DS-II 1731.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0051 158.jpg

References

*http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=794-102 *http://biodiversityexplorer.info/plants/proteaceae/leucadendron_pondoense.htm *https://www.proteaatlas.org.za/conebu.htm {{Taxonbar, from=Q18076875 pondoense