Spatalla thyrsiflora, the swan-neck spoon, is a flowering shrub that belongs to the genus Spatalla and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa where it occurs in the Du Toitskloofberge, Louwshoekberg and in the Swartberg at Caledon.

Spatalla thyrsiflora
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Proteales
Family: Proteaceae
Genus: Spatalla
Species:
S. thyrsiflora
Binomial name
Spatalla thyrsiflora
Salisb. ex Knight (1809)

The shrub spreads to 1.5 m in diameter and flowers from August to December. The shrub sprouts again after it has burned. The plant is bisexual and pollination takes place through the action of insects. Two months after the plant has flowered, the fruit ripens and the seeds fall to the ground where they are spread by ants. The plant grows in sandstone and granite soil at elevations of 900 – 1500 m.

References

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  1. ^ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (2020). "Spatalla thyrsiflora". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T113241578A185535439. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113241578A185535439.en. Retrieved 16 July 2023.

Sources

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