Leucadendron laureolum (Lam.) Fourc.

Shrubs up to 2 m, male plants forming a large conspicuous rounded yellow bush, female plants rather different with bare stems, few branches and greenish leaves. Branches at first purplish arid densely clothed with a short erect pubescence, later becoming dark brown, glabrous and devoid of foliage, in female plants fairly stout, in male plants less so, in both sexes usually arising from immediately below the previous years inflorescence. Leaves in male plants up to 7.5 cm long, 1.5 cm broad, in female plants up to 9.5 cm long, 11 cm broad, in both sexes oblong, veined, semi-erect, obtuse with a blunt reddened recurved mucro at the apex and narrow cartilaginous margins, at first clothed on all sides with a short velvety pubescence, later becoming glabrous and eciliate, increasing in size towards the head. Involucral leaves the outer longer than the stem leaves, the inner becoming shorter and much broadened below, yellow and concealing the head except from above in the male plant greenish yellow and completely enclosing the head in the female plant. Male inflorescence up to 2.3 cm long and 2.1 cm diam., solitary, terminal, globose, silky at the apex, giving off a faint odour of grapefruit, with florets arranged in 34 ascending spirals with about 22 flowers in each. Basal bracts 9 mm long, 9 mm broad, about 13 in number, ovate, glabrous, short-ciliate, brown and recurved towards the apex. Floral bracts 2.7 mm long, 0.8 mm broad, linear, obtuse and broad at the apex, densely pubescent. Floral bud 6 mm long, clavate, yellow, bent, surrounded below by a tuft of hairs, snapping open to discharge the pollen at anthesis. Perianth tube 3 mm long, glabrous. Claw 2 mm long, glabrous, recurved 180°. Limb 2 mm long, concave, hooked, glabrous. Anther 1.2 mm long, linear, curling upwards. Style 4.5 mm long, glabrous and narrower above, sparsely pubescent near the base, becoming deflexed. Stigma abortive, 0.6 mm long, bifid, does not act as a pollen presenter. Hypogynous scales 1 mm long, yellow, filiform. Nectar seen in the perianth tube above the apices of the hypogynous scales. Pollen triangular with truncated apices and sides 28 µin polar view, polar depth 18u. Receptacle 1.8 cm long, 5 mm diam. Female inflorescence 2.7 cm long, 1.4 cm diam., solitary, terminal, elongated-globose, closely imbricated below by the basal bracts, with florets arranged in 8 ascending spirals with about 25 cm each. Basal bracts 1.4 cm long, 1 cm broad, about 36 cm number, ovate, glabrous, thinly short-ciliate, brown and recurved at the apex. Barren bracts at the base of the cone and above the basal bracts, about 20 cm number. Floral bract 5 mm long, 7.5 mm broad, broadly oval with the upper edge straight, densely short-adpressed-pubescent and ciliate. Floral bud 7 mm long, glabrous, transversely compressed, yellow, broadened at the apex. Perianth segments imbricated, forming a tube 5 mm long, glabrous. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 90°, glabrous, laterals concave. Staminodes 0.3 mm long, anterior absent. Ovary 0.8 mm long, glabrous, winged above. Style 5.5 mm long, glabrous, narrower below. Stigma 0.7 mm broad, oblique, bifid. Hypogynous scales 1 mm long, yellow, subulate. Nectar seen in the perianth tube. Receptacle 1.8 cm long, 4.5 mm diam., narrowly clavate. Mature female head a cone 42 ± 4 mm long, 34.5 ± 2.5 mm diam., with a distinctive 8-sided spiral shape and with bracts broad, retuse and glabrous where exposed. Fruit a samara, 1 cm long, 1 cm broad, black, broadly winged on the sides and above, emarginate, pitted on both sides, retained in the head for several years.