Leucadendron cryptocephalum Guthrie

Shrubs up to 1 m tall, bushy, developing from a single stem at the ground. Branches spreading from near the ground, glabrescent. Branchlets arising from below the previous years inflorescence, erect, thinly adpress pubescent, shorter and more slender in the male plant. Leaves pale green in colour, narrowly lanceolate, adpressed pubescent on all sides, soon glabrous, narrowing to an acute apex with a blunt mucro at first tufted with hairs, fairly broad at the base, up to 8.5 cm long and 1.1 cm broad, in male plants somewhat shorter. Involucral leaves erect, crowded, broad at the base, the outer longer than the stem leaves, the inner becoming gradually shorter and more acute, almost totally concealing the head in the male plant and completely enclosing the female head. Male inflorescence about 1.5 cm diam., solitary, terminal, globose, without any distinctive smell. Basal bracts 5 mm long, 5 mm broad, about 12 in number, almost circular in outline, laterally ciliate, glabrous, brown. Floral bracts 1.6 mm long, 1.4 mm broad, oval, ciliate at the apex, with a tuft of hairs above in the middle. Floral bud 4.7 mm long, glabrous, enlarged at the apex, surrounded below by a small tuft of hairs. Perianth tube 1.5 mm long, glabrous. Claw 2 mm long, recurved 180°, glabrous. Limb 1.7 mm long, glabrous, spathulate, concave, hooked. Anthers 1 mm long, linear, curled upwards. Pollen triangular in polar view with truncated apices and convex sides about 26 µ long, polar depth 20 µ. Style 2.7 mm long, glabrous, narrower above. Stigma abortive, 1 mm long, clavate, entire, does not act as a pollen presenter. Hypogynous scales 0.6 mm long, pale, terete, blunt. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 9 mm long, 3 mm diam., clavate. Female inflorescence 2 cm long, 1.3 cm diam., solitary, terminal, elongated ovoid, without any noticeable smell. Basal bracts 1.1 cm long, 8 mm broad, about 18 in number, oval, glabrous, brown, recurved occasionally with a minute tuft of hairs at the apex, sparsely ciliate below, closely imbricating the base of the head. Floral bracts 3 mm long, 5 mm broad, roughly oval, ciliate above, short-silvery-pubescent. Floral bud 4 mm long, glabrous, with the stigma partly visible at the apex. Perianth segments imbricated forming a transversely flattened tube, 3 mm long, glabrous. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 180°, glabrous. Limb 0.7 mm long, glabrous, concave, hooked, the anterior limb without staminode and truncated. Staminodes 0.3 mm long. Ovary 8 mm long, glabrous, winged, surrounded below by a few hairs. Style 3.5 mm long, glabrous, narrower below. Stigma oblique, 0.6 mm diam. Hypogynous scales 0.3 mm long, pale, small, stout. Nectar seen filling the tube from the hypogynous scales up to the throat. Receptacle 1.5 cm long, 3 mm diam., elongated, clavate, narrowing to the apex. Mature female head a cone, in-dehiscent, elongated-ovoid, up to 4 cm long and 2.5 cm diam., with the pubescent bracts arranged in 8 ascending spirals with 12 in each. Fruit a samara, up to 8 mm long and 8 mm broad, winged, emarginate, slightly pitted, wings faintly vertically striate.