Leucadendron daphnoides Meisn.

Shrubs up to 1.5 m, erect, developing from a single stem at the base. Branches erect, stout, clothed with an erect matted short pubescence, few in number, devoid of leaves and pubescence when old. Branchlets erect, fairly stout, somewhat pale in colour, clothed with an erect short pubescence, arising from below the previous years inflorescence. Leaves up to 6 cm long 1.5 cm broad, lanceolate or elliptic, coriaceous, glabrous, sub-scabrous, sub glaucous, narrowing to a sub-acute apex with a blunt recurved mucro, margin narrowly cartilagineous, increasing in size towards the head, juveniles tomen tose. Involucral leaves the outer similar to the stem leaves, becoming broa hollowed and pubescent inside towards the base, decreasing in length, closel imbricating the head on all sides. Male inflorescence 2.5 cm long, 4.3 c diam., depressed globose, solitary, terminal, giving off a faint smell of citr µBasal bracts 1.7 cm long, 1 cm broad, oblong, obtuse, glabrous, long-ciliate with a small acute apex, brittle and brown above, about 24 in number. Floral bracts 1.7 cm long, 2 mm broad, linear below, acute lanceolate and ciliate wit a few hairs on the midrib above. Floral bud 1.9 cm long, glabrous (or sometime pubescent in the middle only), sharply bent, surrounded by a few hairs at th base. Perianth tube 1.2 cm long, glabrous (or sometimes pubescent above Claw 2 mm long, glabrous (or sometimes pubescent) recurved 90°. Limb 6 m long, linear, glabrous/yellow, hooked at the apex. Anthers 5 mm long, linear erect, presenting a part of the pollen. Pollen a rather swollen triangle in pola view with sides 40p long, 31 µin polar depth. Stigma abortive, 4 mm Ion cylindrical, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 15 mm long, pubescent belov narrower and glabrous above. Hypogynous scales 7 mm long, acicular, pal Nectar seen in the perianth tube above the hypogynous scales. Receptacle 1. cm long, 1.1 cm diam., globose. Female inflorescence 2.5 cm long, 2.3 c diam., globose, with the flowers clustered above, giving off a faint smell citrus. Basal bracts similar to the male about 64 cm number. Floral bracts 2 c long, 1.2 cm broad, oblong, obtuse, ciliate, glabrous above, densely silk adpressed-pubescent below. Floral bud 1.5 cm long, transversely compresse yellow and glabrous at the apex, pubescent below. Perianth tube 1.6 cm Iong, compressed, bent inwards near the base, the lateral segments villous, surrounded below by a dense tuft of hairs 2.5 mm long. Claw 2.5 mm long, lateral segments pubescent, recurved 90°. Limb 2 mm long, glabrous, lateral segments concave and hooked. Staminodes 1.5 mm long. Ovary 1.5 mm long, ovoid, glabrous, surrounded by a few hairs 1.5 mm long. Style 1.7 cm long, glabrous, filiform, narrower below. Stigma 1 mm broad, deeply cleft, terminal. Hypogynous scales 6 mm long, acicular, pale. Nectar seen filling the perianth tube from the throat to the apices of the hypogynous scales. Receptacle 1.6 cm long, 1.2 cm diam., conical. Mature female head a cone up to 7 cm long, 4.5 cm diam., dehiscent, with bracts glabrous and thin above, densely pubescent below, old perianths persisting. Fruit a nut, 8 mm long, 1 cm broad, 5.5 mm thick, biconvex, glabrous, smooth, shining, a small portion of the style persisting, a tuft of hairs at the basal scar.