Leucadendron sessile, the western sunbush, 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 ...

belonging 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, South Africa.

Description

The shrub grows tall and bears flowers in July to August. Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive. The seeds are stored in a toll on the female plant and are released after two months when they are ripe and fall to the ground. Rodents disperse the seeds. The plant is unisexual and there are male and female plants. Small towers do the pollination. In Afrikaans, it is known as .

Distribution with habitat

The plant occurs in the Witsenberg, Elandskloof to Slanghoek Mountains, Hottentots Holland Mountains from Jonkershoek to Kogelberg. The plant grows mainly in granite clay soil on mountain slopes at altitudes of .

Gallery

Leucadendron sessile bush.jpg Leucadendron sessile 0223.jpg Leucadendron sessile 0224.jpg Leucadendron sessile-blossom-Kirstenbosch.jpg Leucadendron sessile-bush-Kirstenbosch.jpg

References

Threatened Species Programme , SANBI Red List of South African PlantsLeucadendron sessile R.Br.
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15548195 sessile