''Spatalla'' is a

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 ...

containing 20

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

s, commonly known as "spoons", in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Proteaceae The Proteaceae form a family of flowering plants predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises 83 genera with about 1,660 known species. Together with the Platanaceae and Nelumbonaceae, they make up the order Pro ...

. The genus is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the Cape Floristic Region of

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 ...

where it is associated with

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 ...

habitats. The species are all small

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 ...

s. The name is derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

, meaning “wantonness”, alluding to the plants’ unusually large

pollen-presenter A pollen-presenter is an area on the tip of the style in flowers of plants of the family Proteaceae on which the anthers release their pollen prior to anthesis. To ensure pollination, the style grows during anthesis, sticking out the pollen-pres ...

s. Most species are

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensat ...

Species

Described species are listed below, with their conservation status: * ''

Spatalla argentea ''Spatalla argentea'', the silver-leaf spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Spatalla'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Description The shrub grows only tall and flowe ...

'' Rourke – Silver-leaf spoon – EN * '' Spatalla barbigera'' Salisb. ex Knight – Fine-leaf spoon – NT * ''

Spatalla caudata ''Spatalla caudata'', the woolly-hair spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Spatalla'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape where it is found in the Cederberg, Groot Winterhoek Mountains an ...

'' (Thunb.) R.Br. – Woolly-hair spoon – EN * '' Spatalla colorata''

Meisn. Carl Daniel Friedrich Meissner (1 November 1800 – 2 May 1874) was a Swiss botanist. Biography Born in Bern, Switzerland on 1 November 1800, he was christened Meisner but later changed the spelling of his name to Meissner. For most of his 40 ...

– Shiny spoon – EN * ''

Spatalla confusa ''Spatalla confusa'' the long-tube spoon is a flowering shrub native to the Western Cape where it forms part of the fynbos. It is found in the Cederberg up to the Hottentots Holland Mountains The Hottentots Holland Mountains are part of the C ...

'' (E.Phillips) Rourke – Long-tube spoon – LC * ''

Spatalla curvifolia ''Spatalla curvifolia'', the white-stalked spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Description The shrub is flat, rounded, grows only tall and flowers all year round ...

'' Salisb. ex Knight – White-stalked spoon – NT * ''

Spatalla ericoides ''Spatalla'' is a genus containing 20 species of flowering plants, commonly known as "spoons", in the family Proteaceae. The genus is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where it is associated with fynbos habitats. The species a ...

'' E.Phillips – Erica-leaf spoon – EN * ''

Spatalla incurva ''Spatalla'' is a genus containing 20 species of flowering plants, commonly known as "spoons", in the family Proteaceae. The genus is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where it is associated with fynbos habitats. The species a ...

'' (Thunb.) R.Br. – Swan-head spoon – LC * ''

Spatalla longifolia ''Spatalla longifolia'', the pink-stalked spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Spatalla''. It forms a part of the fynbos Fynbos (; meaning fine plants) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation ...

'' Salisb. ex Knight – Pink-stalked spoon – NT * ''

Spatalla mollis ''Spatalla mollis'', the woolly spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Spatalla'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Description The shrub is flat, rounded, grows only tall ...

'' R.Br. – Woolly spoon – Rare * ''

Spatalla nubicola ''Spatalla nubicola'', the Medusa spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Spatalla'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape where it is found in the central Langeberg near the town of Heidelberg ...

'' Rourke – Medusa spoon – NT * ''

Spatalla parilis ''Spatalla parilis'', the spike spoon, is a flowering shrub belonging to the genus ''Spatalla''. It forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Description The shrub grows upright and grows tall and flowers ...

'' Salisb. ex Knight – Spike spoon – LC * ''

Spatalla prolifera ''Spatalla prolifera'', the palmiet spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Spatalla'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Description The shrub grows upright and grows to ta ...

'' (Thunb.) Salisb. ex Knight – Palmiet spoon – EN * ''

Spatalla propinqua ''Spatalla propinqua'', the lax spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub belonging to genus ''Spatalla'', and forming a part of the fynbos vegetation. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa. Description The shrub grows tall, grows uprigh ...

'' R.Br. – Lax spoon – EN * ''

Spatalla racemosa ''Spatalla racemosa'', the lax-stalked spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''Spatalla'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape where it is found in the Kogelberg, Groenland mountains, Babilon ...

'' (L.) Druce – Lax-stalked spoon – NT * ''

Spatalla salsoloides ''Spatalla'' is a genus containing 20 species of flowering plants, commonly known as "spoons", in the family Proteaceae. The genus is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where it is associated with fynbos habitats. The species a ...

'' (R.Br.) Rourke – Kink-style spoon – CR * ''

Spatalla setacea ''Spatalla'' is a genus containing 20 species of flowering plants, commonly known as "spoons", in the family Proteaceae. The genus is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where it is associated with fynbos habitats. The species a ...

'' (R.Br.) Rourke – Needle-leaf spoon – LC * '' Spatalla squamata'' Meisn. – Silky spoon – NT * '' Spatalla thyrsiflora'' Salisb. ex Knight – Swan-neck spoon – VU * '' Spatalla tulbaghensis'' (E.Phillips) Rourke – Shaggy-hair spoon – EN

Gallery

Spatalla confusa vBerkel2.jpg, Spatalla propinqua 1DS-II 3-8370.jpg, Spatalla longifolia Rebelo 2.jpg, Spatalla curvifolia 1DS-II 1-C4337.jpg, Spatalla parilis Rebelo 1.jpg, Spatalla racemosa 1DS-II 1-9440.jpg,

References

Proteaceae genera Endemic flora of South Africa Flora of the Cape Provinces {{Proteaceae-stub