Serruria leipoldtii, the Leipoldt's spiderhead, is a flowering shrub that belongs to the genus Serruria and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is endemic to the Western Cape and occurs in the northern Sederberg. The shrub grows up to 1.5 m tall with a diameter of 30 cm and flowers from summer to autumn.
| Serruria leipoldtii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Serruria |
| Species: | S. leipoldtii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Serruria leipoldtii E.Phillips & Hutch.
| |
The plant sprouts again after a fire. Two months after flowering, the fruit falls and ants disperse the seeds. They store the seeds in their nests. The plant is unisexual. The plant grows in sandstone soil at elevations of 1000–1400 m.
The plant is named after the Afrikaans poet C. Louis Leipoldt.
References
edit- ^ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Serruria leipoldtii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T113238199A185575813. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113238199A185575813.en. Retrieved 18 August 2023.