288 Plants and their Ways in Soiitli Africa 



Leaves entire, small ; heads small . Diastella. 

 Leaves large, expanded ; heads large 



with large showy bracts . . Orothamnus. 

 Flowers in i-flowered or 2-6-flowered invol- 

 ucred heads, clustered in spikes or 

 heads. 

 Calyx regular. 



Achene not stalked ; upper leaves 



entire or cut, lower pinnati parted Nivenia. 

 Achene stalked ; leaves linear entire, 



or some of the lower compound Sorocephalus. 

 Calj'x irregular, i sepal larger , . Spatalia. 

 Flowers in spikes or racemes (not in heads) 

 Anthers sessile; nut bearded; spikes 

 terminal ; leaves alternate, not 



notched Faurea. 



Anthers on short filaments; ovules 2 ; 

 drupe velvety ; racemes axillary ; 

 leaves whorled, serrate ; fls. perfect 

 and imperfect .... Brabeium. 



According to Dr. Wiegand, hairy coN'erings are employed by plants 

 in situations where, as on Table Mountain, a supply of water is a\'ailable 

 but where there is bright sunshine and frequent high winds. Hairs do 

 not interfere with transpiration when mists hover over the mountain. 



Cutin, on the other hand, is effective in places where a scarcity of 

 water is constant. 



Leucadendron. — Flowers direcious, borne in cone-like 



heads. Involucre formed by tlie upper leaves, which give the 

 delicate yellow colour to the veld in spring where these shrubs 

 abound. In some species the involucre is reddish. The fruit 

 may be flat, and distributed by wings or globose, as in the 

 Silver Tree (Z. argcntaim, Ix. Br.) (see pp. 155, 1S8). About 

 sixty species chiefly in the Coast region. 



Protea flowers are perfect ; one perianth segment be- 

 comes separated from the other three. The genus may be 

 distinguished by this character and by the showy involucres. 

 The style remains on the hairy ovar>'. The involucres of F. 

 mellifcra, Thunb. (the Sugar Bush) are often lialf filled with 

 honey in the early morning. 'I'he lirm in\olucres in some 

 species serve as a landing ]ilace for birds which aid in pollina- 

 tion. 



