Serruria aemula is a critically endangered species of flowering plant in the family Proteaceae, endemic to South Africa. It is known by the common name of strawberry spiderhead.

Serruria aemula
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Serruria
Species:
S. aemula
Binomial name
Serruria aemula
Salisb. ex Knight

This plant used to occur in large numbers on the Cape Flats of Cape Town. Its natural habitat now lies under urban sprawl so only a few plants survive on patches of road-side. Several of its subspecies are now in fact extinct in the wild, surviving only in botanical gardens. Mostly it grows up to 0.5m in height.[1]

References

edit
  1. ^ Hitchcock, Anthony; Adams, Trevor (November 2002). "Serruria aemula". Plantzafrica.com. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 31 December 2020.