Leucadendron arcuatum (Lam.) I.Williams

Shrubs decumbent or up to 1.3 m tall, with several stems arising from a persistent rootstock. Branches some spreading, others erect, stout, glabrous often purplish. Leaves variable in size, subequal in the two sexes, 5.5-8 cm long, 1.9-4.5 cm broad, obovate or spathulate, obtuse or sometimes retuse, mucro recurved red somewhat immersed, margins cartilagineous, narrowed or attenuated to the base, often falcate, glabrous, sub-glabrous, thick, coriaceous, veined, somewhat erect, the upper becoming larger. Young leaves ciliate, tufted with hairs at the apex, soon glabrous. Involucral leaves coloured, similar to the stem leaves, the inner becoming smaller. Male inflorescence 1.7-2.6 cm long, 2.2-3.5 cm diam., globose, solitary, terminal, with cream coloured flowers, giving off a sweet smell. Basal bracts 5-17 mm long, 4-7 mm broad, 36-99 cm number, deltoid, acute, short-ciliate, glabrous, slightly oily, the innermost smaller, caudate, pubescent below. Floral bud 8-10 mm long, bent, glabrous, apex yellow and slightly swollen, surrounded by long hairs at the base. Floral bract 4-7 mm long, 1-1.7 mm broad, linear-lanceolate, apex acute glabrous and oily, densely pubescent in the middle and on the midrib, surrounded by long hairs at the base. Perianth tube 4-6 mm long, glabrous, pale. Claw 3-3.5 mm long, recurved 145°, glabrous, pale. Limb 2-3 mm long, somewhat hooked and concave, glabrous. Anther 1.7-2 mm long, linear, decumbent, stripped of pollen at anthesis. Pollen triangular in polar view with sides 45-47 µ long, polar depth 23-30µ. Stigma abortive, 1.5-2.2 mm long, sulcate, obtuse, somewhat cleft, sub-cylindric, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 7-9.5 mm long, narrow above, pubescent below. Hypogynous scales 3-4 mm long, acicular, pale. Nectar seen at the apices of the scales. Receptacle 1-1.8 cm long, 0.51 cm diam., clavate. Female inflorescence 1.4-3.3 cm diam., globose, solitary, terminal, with the cream florets arranged in 8 spiral rows of 4 to 18 cm each, giving off a sweet smell. Basal bracts 53-127 cm number, the outer similar to the male, the inner narrower and longer. Floral bract 6-9 mm long, 7.5-11 mm broad, orbicular or broadly elliptic, apiculate, minutely ciliate, glabrous above, densely pubescent below. Floral bud 1 cm long, bent 90°, apex glabrous, very densely pubescent below. Perianth segments laterally in contact forming a tube 7-9 mm long, densely pubescent, glabrous near the base. Claw 2 mm long, recurved 90°, pubescent. Limb 1.5-2 mm long, glabrous, concave, hooked. Staminode 0.6-1 mm long, curled upward. Ovary 1.5 mm long, ovoid, pubescent. Style 7-9 mm long, glabrous, broader above. Stigma 0.7-1.2 mm broad, oblique, somewhat cleft. Hypogynous scales 2.8-3.5 mm long, subulate, pale yellow. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 1.3-1.5 cm long, 6-7 mm diam., clavate. Mature female head dehiscent, up to 3.5 cm diam., globose, with bracts glabrous above, densely pubescent below, not connate. Fruit a nut 8 mm long, 8.5 mm broad, 5 mm thick, biconvex, broadly ovoid, very sparsely pubescent.