Leucadendron barkerae I.Williams

Shrubs stout, erect, branching from the base, up to 2 m high. Branches erect, stout, tomentose, purplish, male plants more branched. Leaves elliptic, obtuse, erect, veined, tomentose becoming glabrescent, sub-glaucous, with a small blunt red mucro grooved and recurved, margins thinly cartilaginous, in the male plants 5 cm long and 1.3 cm broad, in female plants 7 cm long and 2.2 cm broad. Involucral leaves larger, crowded, erect, coloured, imbricating the head. Male inflorescence 3.3 cm long, 4.4 cm diam., solitary, terminal, flowers spreading widely when fully open, flattened above, giving off a pleasant fruit-like perfume. Basal bracts 1.9 cm long, 7 mm broad, about 140 cm number, linear, obtuse, thin, glabrous, resinous, ciliate, the outer more acute and pubescent, the innermost recurved at the apex. Floral bracts 1.5 cm long, 2 mm broad, linear, thin, long-ciliate on both margins, not so at the apex where slightly broader, recurved, resinous. Floral bud 1.7 cm long, sparsely pubescent below, glabrous and bent above. Perianth tube 1 cm long, sparsely pubescent. Claw 2 mm long, glabrous, recurved 90°. Limb 5.5 mm long, linear, glabrous. Anthers 4.5 mm long, linear, erect, presenting the pollen. Pollen triangular in polar view, sides 39 µ long. Style 1.4 cm long, filiform, narrower above, villous below. Stigma abortive, truncate, bifid. Hypogynous scales 7 mm long, filiform. Receptacle 1.6 cm long, 1.1 cm diam., conical above. Female inflorescence 2.6 cm diam., terminal, solitary, globose, with flowers at the flattened apex, sides imbricated, giving off a pleasant fruity perfume. Basal bracts 1.8 cm long, 8 mm broad, about 142 cm number, the outer acute, pubescent, the inner glabrous, resinous, oblong, obtuse, ciliate with a small acute apex, the innermost slightly recurved. Floral bracts 1.5 cm long, 9 mm broad, oblong, obtuse, ciliate, except at the apex, glabrous and resinous above, densely pubescent below. Floral bud 1.5 cm long, densely pubescent except at the apex. Perianth tube 1.2 cm long, transversely compressed, bent in near the base, densely pubescent. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 90°, pubescent. Limb 2.5 mm long, glabrous. Staminode 0.75 mm long, bent upwards. Ovary 1.25 mm long, ovoid, glabrous. Style 1.4 cm long, filiform, glabrous, narrower below. Stigma 0.7 mm diam., oblique. Hypogynous scales 3.5 mm long, filiform, tapering, yellow. Receptacle 1.5 cm long and 9 mm diam., conical above. Mature female head a cone, dehiscent, 4 cm long and 3.3 cm diam., with bracts in 8 spirals, closely imbricated at the base by the lower part of the involucral leaves and by the numerous basal bracts. Fruit a nut 8 mm long, 9 mm broad, 4.6 mm thick, biconvex, margins ridged, glabrous, pubescent at the basal scar.