Leucadendron foedum I.Williams

Shrubs up to 2.5 m, arising from a single stem at the ground, male plants forming a rounded bush, female plants more narrow and less branched. Branches glabrous, fairly slender, more so in the male plant, weakly villous when young. Leaves of male plants 2.7 cm long, 5.5 mm broad, of female plants 3.3 cm long, 7 mm broad, larger in younger plants, in both sexes oblanceolate, narrowing at the apex to a small blunt mucro often tufted with hairs, erect, glabrous. Juvenile leaves much longer, weakly villous, ciliate, tufted with hairs at the apex. Involucral leaves glabrous, few in number, not concealing the head; in male plants narrowly oblanceolate, very pale green, spreading, 4.2 cm long, 6 mm broad; in female plants linear-oblanceolate, curled upwards, light green, 6.2 cm long, 1 cm broad. Male inflorescence 1.9 cm diam., solitary, terminal, globose, giving off an unpleasant smell. Basal bracts varying, average 5 mm long, 3 mm broad, about 20 in number, ovate, brown, very short-ciliate below, very short-pubescent on the midrib. Floral bract 2 mm long, 1 mm broad, lanceolate, obtuse, glabrous except for a few hairs on the midrib below. Floral bud 6.5 mm long, glabrous, yellow, clavate at the apex. Perianth tube 2 mm long, glabrous. Limb 2 mm long, spathulate, concave, hooked at the apex. Anther 1.5 mm long, linear, curled upwards. Polk triangular in polar view with sides 32 µ long, polar depth 22 µ. Stigma abortiv 1.5 mm long, clavate, entire, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 5 mm long glabrous, narrower above. Hypogynous scales 1.5 mm long, acicular, yellow. Nectar seen exuding at the apices of the scales. Receptacle 1.3 cm long, 6 mr diam., clavate. Female inflorescence 1.5 cm long, 1.2 cm diam., solitary, terminal, ellipsoidal, exceeded but not concealed by the involucral leaves, with the florets in 8 spiral rows, giving off a most foetid smell. Basal bracts 7 mm long, 6 mm broad, about 18 in number, ovate, brown above, very short-ciliate mainly below, very short-pubescent towards the midrib and above. Floral bract 4 mm long, 6 mm broad, broadly ovate, densely very short-pubescent, very short-ciliate, thick and fleshy below. Floral bud 6 mm long, transversely compressed, sparsely pubescent towards the middle and sides, glabrous at the apex and base. Perianth segments imbricated forming a tube 4 mm long, transversely compressed, glabrous except for the sparse pubescence on the middle of the outer edges of the lateral segments and on the middle of the anterior segment. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 90°, glabrous. Limb 1 mm long, glabrous. Staminode 0.5 mm long, anterior absent. Ovary 1 mm long, glabrous, bilobed above. Style 4 mm long, glabrous, narrower below. Stigma 0.7 mm diam., oblique. Hypogynous scales 1.25 mm long, stout, tapering, yellow. Nectar exuded at the apices of the hypogynous scales is conducted to the throat of the perianth tube by capillary action in the groove of the lateral perianth segments. Receptacle 1.4 cm long, 3 mm diam., cylindrical. Mature female head indehiscent, 2.2-2.9 cm long, 2.1-2.4 cm diam., elongated globose, with bracts short-silky-pubescent, swollen, with thin margins. Fruit a samara, 7 mm long, 8 mm broad, orbicular, winged, emarginate, black, glabrous, slightly pitted with a few very short hairs surrounding the basal scar.