Leucadendron linifolium R.Br.

Shrubs up to 2 m, erect, dense, single stemmed below. Branches scattered, fairly slender, numerous, erect, glabrous. Leaves varying considerably in length, of male plants 7.5-27 mm long, 1.2-2.5 mm broad, of female plants 15-35 mm long, 2-2.5 mm broad, in both sexes linear-oblanceolate, apex obtuse with a blunt callus, narrowing evenly to the base, twisted, glabrous, fleshy, veins obscured. Male inflorescence 1-1.2 cm diam., globose, solitary, terminal, usually pedunculate, numerous, giving off a yeasty smell. Basal bracts 3.5-5 mm long, 1.5-1.7 mm broad, lanceolate, acute, ciliate, densely pubescent or almost glabrous, becoming brown. Floral bract 1.7-2.2 mm long, 0.5-0.7 mm broad, lanceolate, acute, ciliate, densely pubescent above, apex becoming brown. Floral bud 4-5 mm long, crisped pubescent, sharply bent, surrounded at the base by a tuft of hairs. Perianth tube 2-2.5 mm long, pubescent. Claw 1-1.5 mm long, recurved 180-360°, pubescent. Limb 1.5 mm long, concave, somewhat hooked, pubescent. Anther 0.9-1.1 mm long, curled upwards, linear. Pollen triangular in polar view with sides 35 µ long, polar depth 20µ. Stigma abortive, 1 mm long, clavate, entire, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 3-3.5 mm long, filiform, narrower above, sparsely villous below. Hypogynous scales 1-1.5 mm long, filiform, pale. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 5 mm long, 3 mm diam., clavate. Female inflorescence 1.2-1.4 cm diam., globose, solitary, terminal, not hidden by the leaves, with the florets in 8 spiral rows of about 13 cm each, giving off a faint yeasty smell. Basal bracts 5-8 mm long, 3-3.5 mm broad, about 51 cm number, lanceolate, acute or apiculate, brown above, densely pubescent or almost glabrous, ciliate, the inner much broadened below. Bract 4-5 mm long, 6.5-7.5 mm broad, broadly elliptic, densely short-pubescent, short-ciliate, adjacent bracts in two spiral rows. Floral bud 5 mm long, evenly bent, transversely compressed, pubescent, standing in a tuft of hairs at the base. Perianth segments imbricated, forming a tube 4-5 mm long, densely pubescent above, broad, glabrous and translucent below. Claw 1.5 mm long, recurved 90°, pubescent. Limb 0.9 mm long, short-pubescent, posterior glabrous. Staminode 0.6 mm long, curled upwards, acute, anterior often absent. Ovary 1.2 mm long, ovate, densely pubescent on the sides and above with hairs 3-4 mm long. Style 4-5 mm long, glabrous, narrower below. Stigma 0.7 mm broad, oblique, cleft. Hypogynous scales 1-2 mm long, acicular, pale. ] Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 1 cm long, 2.5 mm I diam., cylindrical. Mature female head 1.85 ±0.45 cm diam., globose, indehis-j cent, with bracts broad, glabrescent above, densely pubescent below, some-I what grey in colour, ciliate. Fruit a nutlet, 5 mm long, 3.5 mm broad, 3 mm I thick, obovoid, apiculate, villous on almost all sides, mottled, dusky.