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Proteaceae (Genus comprising about sixty)
A genus comprising about sixty species of magnificent, greenhouse shrubs or small trees, almost all natives of extra-tropical South Africa, one or two extending in tropical Africa as far as Abyssinia. Flowers solitary, densely capitate, surrounded sometimes by coloured bracts; heads usually large, globose or rarely oblong, cone-like; receptacle thick, flat or convex; involucral scales numerous, imbricated, or the lower ones sometimes elongated, blackish or coloured. Leaves alternate or scattered, coriaceous, rigid, entire, very variable in shape. Many of the species have been introduced to cultivation, but are now only rarely met with. They require an airy greenhouse, with exposure to full sunlight; during summer, they should be placed out of doors Most of them thrive only in well-drained, sandy peat, and they are induced to flower freely by allowing them to become pot-bound after they have grown to the required size. Some form large shrubs, and flower on the ends of the branches; while others are dwarf and trailing, and the flowers are produced on the old stem, close to the ground. Propagated by cuttings of the half-ripened young wood, inserted in sandy peat, under a bell-glass; or by imported seeds. Several of the species formerly included here will now be found under Serruria (which see).
P. acaulis (stemless). fl. purple, in a sessile, hemispherical head, 1in. to 1 1/2in. in diameter. July. l. obovate-oblong, thick, 4in. to 8in. long, 1in. to 2in. broad, obtuse or mucronate-acute, narrow-cuneate below the middle, sometimes petioliform at base. Stem shortened and much branched, depressed. h. 1 1/2ft. 1802. (B. M. 2065.) P. acerosa (acerose). fl. blackish, in somewhat aggregate, subsessile, turbinate-hemispherical heads, 1in. in diameter; perianth scarcely 3/4in. long. April. l. subulate, slender, somewhat rigid, smooth, seven to twelve lines long, scarcely half a line broad. Stems erect, nearly 1ft. high, sub-umbellately branched. 1803. This species may be readily recognised by the leaves being more slender than the style. (B. R. 351.) P. angustifolia (narrow-leaved). A form of P. grandiflora. P. cordata (heart-shaped).* fl. purple, in a hemispherical head as large as a small apple; scales red, obtuse; perianth 1/2in. long. April. l. remote, glaucous, sessile, cordate, and somewhat rounded or ovate, rigid, 2in. to 4in. long, 1 1/2in. to 5in. broad; young ones red-margined. Stem prostrate, short, scaly; branches slender, ascendent. h. 3in. to 12in. 1790. (A. B. R. 289.) SYN. P. cordifolia (B. M. 649).
P. cordifolia (heart-shape leaved). A synonym of P. cordata. P. coronata (crowned). A synonym of P. formosa.
P. cynaroides glabrata (Cynara-like, glabrous).* fl. white, greenish within, in large, obovate-globose, at length spreading heads; scales rosy-tipped. August. l. elliptic or oval-oblong, attenuated at both ends, usually obtuse. Stems epigaeous, 6in. to 12in. long, very simple, thick. 1774. (A. B. R. 288, under name of P. cynaroides.) P. c. obtusifolia (obtuse-leaved). fl. like those of the type. l. sub-orbicular or obovate, very obtuse, shortly attenuated at base or sub-emarginate, together with the petiole 4in. to 6in. long, 1in. to 2in. broad. (B. M. 770, under name of P. cynaroides.) P. formosa (beautiful).* fl., perianth violet; involucre of an intense rose-colour, the scales white-ciliated. May. l. narrow-oblong, oblique, glaucescent, 3in. to 4in. long, 1 1/2in. to 2in. broad, slightly obtuse, rose-margined, glabrous. Branches, as well as the margins of the leaves, tomentose. h. 6ft. 1789. (B. M. 1713.) SYN. P. coronata (A. B. R. 469). P. formosa (beautiful), of Andrews. A synonym of Leucospermum medium. P. grandiflora (large-flowered). fl. white, in heads as large as a man's fist; calyx 3/4in. long; style at length 3in. long, straight; young scales ferruginous-or white-tomentose. May. l. oblong, obtuse, reticulate-veined, not marginate, 3in. to 5in. long, from 1in. to 2in. broad, coriaceous, with a terminal, obtuse or subrecurved callus. Branches glabrous, densely leafy. h. 6ft. to 7ft. 1787. A small tree. (B. M. 2447.) P. angustifolia (B. R. 569), according to Meissner, is a mere form of this, with lanceolate leaves, six to eight lines broad.
P. laevis (smooth). fl. greenish, nearly 1in. long, in sessile, mediocre, erect, hemispherical heads; scales sub-sericeous, at length glabrous. May. l. glaucous, elongated-linear, acute, glabrous, attenuated at base, flat, secund, 4in. to 6in. long. Stem decumbent, dwarf. 1806. (B. M. 2439.) P. latifolia (broad-leaved). fl. purple, scarlet, or green, as much as 3 1/2in. long, tomentose, in large, turbinate heads. August. l. sessile, cordate-ovate, obtuse, reticulate-nerved, 3in. to 4in. long, 2in. to 3in. broad, thick, amplexicaul, the margins sometimes woolly. Branches tomentose, densely leafy at apex. h. 6ft. to 8ft. 1806. (B. M. 1717.) SYN. P. radiata (A. B. R. 646).
P. lepidocarpon (scaly-fruited). fl. purple, in ovoid, sessile heads, about the size of the fist; perianth nearly 2in. long, pilose. May. l. lanceolate, acute, narrow at base, slightly scabrous-dotted, rigid, erect, 3in. to 5in. long, five to seven lines broad. Branches glabrous, or the younger ones tomentose or sub-villous. h. 6ft. 1806. Shrub or small tree. (A. B. R. 301, under name of P. grandiflora var.) P. lepidocarpon (scaly-fruited), of Ker. A synonym of P. melaleuca. P. longifolia (long-leaved). fl. pale, blackish at the tips of the perianth, 4in. long, pilose, in large, ovate-oblong heads, very shortly turbinate at base. February. l. narrow-lanceolate, long-attenuated 3in. to 6in. long, three to four lines broad, acute or obtuse, or callous-apiculate. h. 2ft. 1798. (A. B. R. 132-134; B. R. 47.) P. magnifica (magnificent). A synonym of P. speciosa. P. melaleuca (black-and-white). fl., involucral scales white-ciliated, outer ones squarrose, inner ones connivent, black-tomentose at back. May. l. linear-ligulate, ciliated on the margins. Branches slightly pilose. h. 6ft. 1786. SYNS. P. lepidocarpon (B. M. 674), P. speciosa nigra (A. B. R. 103). P. mellifera (honey-bearing).* Cape Honey-flower, or Sugarbush. fl. pink or white, 3in. to 3 1/2in. long, white-penicillate at the tips, in large, ovate-oblong, attenuated, sub-pedunculate heads, 3in. to 4in. long; scales of a beautiful sanguinary-rose colour, slenderly straited. September. l. lanceolate, of a pleasing green, 3in. to 5in. long, three to six lines broad, by no means marginate, slightly callous-apiculate. Branches spreading, ascendent at apex. h. 6ft. 1774. Shrub or small tree. (A. B. R. 582; B. M. 346.) P. mucronifolia (mucronate-leaved). fl. violet, white within, and white-bearded, less than 1in. long, in small, globose, subsessile heads, about the size of a walnut. September. l. linear, 1 1/2in. to 2in. long, with a pungent mucrone, not narrowed at the base. Branches glabrous. h. 4ft. 1803. (A. B. R. 500; B. M. 933.) P. neriifolia (Oleander-leaved). fl. purplish and yellowish-white, plumose at the tips, in oblong-turbinate heads, 3in. long; inner scales silvery-silky, black-bearded on the margins. March. l. linear-lingulate, 4in. or more long, about 3/4in. broad, obtuse or very slightly acuminate, emarginate at base, and, as well as the branches, tomentose. h. 3ft. or more. 1806. A robust shrub. (B. R. 208.) P. penicillata (pencilled). fl. 1 1/2in. to 1 3/4in. long, white-bearded at the apex, in a turbinate, spheroid head, as large as an apple; style 2 1/2in. long, sulcate. Summer. l. lanceolate, slightly obtuse at both ends, 2in. to 3in. long, six to ten lines broad, the young ones villous-ciliated. Branches slender, rather loosely leafy, tomentose at the top. Shrub. (B. M. 6558.) P. pulchella (pretty).* fl. red; inner involucral scales silky, black-bearded on the margins. June. l. linear-lingulate, rather blackish on the margins, slightly scabrous. h. 3ft. 1795. (A. B. R. 270; B. R. 20.) P. radiata (rayed). A synonym of P. latifolia.
P. Scolymus (Scolymus).* fl. purple, 1/2in. to 3/4in. long, in sessile, erect heads, as large as a plum, at length obovate; style 1in. long, rather thick. April. l. linear-lanceolate, acute, long-attenuated at base, 2in. to 4in. long, 1/8in. to 1/6in. broad, striate-wrinkled, and, as well as the branches, glabrous. Branchlets slender, corymbose, rather loosely leafy. h. 3ft. 1780. An erect shrub. (A. B. R. 409; B. M. 698.) P. speciosa (showy). fl. 3in. long, white-silky, the laminae sometimes red-or white-bearded; heads ovoid, as large as the fist; scales all white-silky. April. l. thick, oblong or obovate, narrowed at base, somewhat acutely mucronate, 3in. to 6in. long, 1in. to 2in. broad, and, as well as the erect branches, glabrous. h. 6ft. 1786. Shrub or small tree. (A. B. R. 110; B. M. 1183.) SYN. P. magnifica (A. B. R. 438).
P. s. nigra (black). A synonym of P. melaleuca.
P. villifera (villi-bearing). fl. purple, in sessile, oblong heads, 3in. long and 1in. to 2in. broad; inner scales pink, white-bearded at apex. August. l. sessile, glaucous, obovate-oblong, obtuse, attenuated at base, 3in. long, 1in. to 2in. broad, and, together with the branches, pilose. h. 6ft. 1800. (B. R. 1023.)