For the identification of insects and other fauna and flora of South Africa.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Black-bearded Protea (Protea neriifolia)
Family Proteaceae
Protea neriifolia
is part of an ancient plant family, the Proteaceae, which had already divided
into two subfamilies before the break-up of the Gondwanaland continent about
140 million years ago. Both the Proteoideae and the Grevilleoideae occur mainly
in the southern hemisphere. In southern Africa there are about 360 species, of
which more than 330 species are confined to the Cape Floral Kingdom, between
Nieuwoudtville in the northwest and Grahamstown in the east. Protea
neriifolia belongs to the genus Protea, which has more than 92 species,
subspecies and varieties.
The leaves of Protea neriifolia are most often
bright- or dark green and look quite like the leaves of the oleander (Nerium
oleander). This accounts for the species name neriifolia, which
means 'with leaves resembling those of the oleander'.
Protea neriifolia
was first discovered in 1597, was illustrated in 1605, and has the distinction
of being the first protea ever to be mentioned in botanical literature. It took
quite a while before it was officially recognised as a distinct species by the
botanists and it was only described and named in 1810. Enthusiastic
horticulturists in the meantime had already succeeded in growing Protea
neriifolia in glasshouses in Europe and in 1811 an illustration of a plant
grown to flowering size in the Herrenhaus Gardens near Hanover, Germany, was
published. During the early nineteenth century it was possible to buy cream or
pink flowering plants from a nursery in England and Protea neriifolia
could be found in many private collections.
Protea neriifolia
is a very widespread species and occurs from sea-level to 1300 m altitude in
the southern coastal mountain ranges from just east of Cape Town to Port
Elizabeth. It grows mainly on soils derived from Table Mountain Sandstone,
often in large stands.
The flowers are pollinated by scarab beetles,
protea beetles and many other insects, as well as by birds. The birds are
attracted by both the nectar and the insects visiting the flowers.
