ISHS Acta Horticulturae 387: III International Protea Research Symposium
THE PROTEAS OF TROPICAL AFRICA |
| Author: | J.S. Beard |
| Abstract:
The genus Protea, while the best known as a member of the Cape Floral Kingdom with 69 species, extends over most of Africa south of the Sahara with a further 44 species. A few of these are extremely widespread, while others may be rare, localised and poorly known. Zimbabwe shares two widespread species with adjoining countries but has also five local endemic species of Protea as well as the only tropical species of the related Leucospermum. Some tropical proteas may be trees reaching 10 m in height, considered the ancestral form, while others are subshrubs whose shoots are burnt off annually in grass fires and renewed the following season. An evolutionary trend is evident from the tree to the suffrutescent form. Tropical proteas are exclusively found in highlands, some in the Brachystegia-type savanna woodlands of the great African plateaux 1 000–2 000 m above sea level, and others in the mountain fynbos and secondary grasslands of the mountain chains and escarpments from 1 500 to 3 000 m. While in general not as strikingly beautiful as Cape proteas, a number of the tropicals deserve introduction into horticulture. | |
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