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 of South Africa.
| Spatalla prolifera | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Spatalla |
| Species: | S. prolifera
|
| Binomial name | |
| Spatalla prolifera (Thunb.) Salisb. ex Knight
| |
Description
editThe shrub grows upright and grows to 1 m (3.3 ft) tall and flowers from September to December. The plant dies after a fire but the seeds survive. The plant is bisexual and pollinated by insects. Two months after the plant has flowered, the ripe seeds fall to the ground where they are spread by ants.
Distribution and habitat
editThe plant occurs in the Hottentots-Holland Mountains and Kleinmond Mountains along the Palmiet and Steenbras River. It grows in swampy soil, river banks and wetlands at elevations of 50–460 m (160–1,510 ft)
References
edit- ^ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Spatalla prolifera". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T113241142A185585998. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113241142A185585998.en. Retrieved 12 February 2022.