Serruria brownii, the bottlebrush spiderhead, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the family Proteaceae and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape, South Africa.

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

Description

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The shrub is erect and grows only 50 cm (20 in) tall and bears flowers from June to October.[citation needed] Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive. Two months after flowering, the fruit falls off and ants disperse the seeds. They store the seeds in their nests. The plant is bisexual. Pollination takes place through the action of insects.

In Afrikaans, it is known as fleskwasbos.[2]

Distribution and habitat

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The plant occurs on the plains from Hopefield to Tygerberg. It grows mainly in granite soil, shale and thick sand at altitudes of 50–250 m (160–820 ft).[2]

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References

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  1. ^ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; Koopman, R.; van der Merwe, J.; Raimondo, D. (2020). "Serruria brownii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T185421268A185545236. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T185421268A185545236.en.
  2. ^ a b "Serruria brownii | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org.
  3. ^ "Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants". redlist.sanbi.org.
  4. ^ "Stalkless Spiderheads". www.proteaatlas.org.za.