Leucadendron meyerianum H.Buek ex Meisn.

Shrubs up to 2 m tall and 3 m wide when very old, much branched from near the base, developing from a single stem at ground level; female plants smaller and less branched. Branches numerous, leafless, glabrous, spreading, becoming brown. Branchlets erect, purplish, smooth, glabrous, slender, numerous, not hidden by the leaves, arising from immediately below the previous years inflorescence. Leaves 3 cm long, 1.5 mm broad, linear, rounded on the lower surface, flattened on the upper, semi-erect, coriaceous, glabrous, sub-glaucous, with a blunt mucro at the apex. Involucral leaves similar to the stem leaves but somewhat more crowded not concealing the head. Male inflorescence 1.2 cm long, 1.6 cm diam., solitary, terminal, hemispherical with the florets gathered on the flat upper surface, giving off a faint pleasant smell. Basal bracts 5 mm long, 6 mm broad, about 43 cm number, conspicuous, reddended, smooth, glabrous, hollowed on the inside near the apex, closely imbricating the sides and base of the head. Floral bracts 5 mm long, 1-1.5 mm broad, linear, pubescent except towards the apex where thin, reddened, glabrous, oily. Floral bud 7 mm long, glabrous, green above, bent in two places, surrounded below by a tuft of long hairs. Perianth tube 5.5 mm long, glabrous. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 90°, glabrous. Limb 2 mm long, linear, concave, hooked at the apex. Anthers 1.3 mm long, linear, curled upwards. Pollen triangular in polar view, with rounded apices and convex sides 37y long, polar height 25µ. Style 6 mm long, pale, glabrous and narrower above, villous below. Stigma abortive, 1.3 mm long, scarcely thickened, greer, minutely cleft, acting as a pollen presenter. Hypogynous scales 4 mm long, filiform, yellow. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube above the hypogynous scales. Receptacle 5 mm long, 2 mm diam., conical. Female inflorescence 1 cm long, 7 mm diam., solitary, terminal, ovoid, small, with about 7 florets clustered at the apex. Basal bracts 3.5 mm long, 5 mm broad, about 51 cm number, similar to the male. Floral bracts 3.5 mm long, 5.5 mm broad, broadly ovate, reddened at the obtuse apex, glabrous except for a few hairs at the base, the inner becoming densely silky pubescent in the lower half. Floral bud 8 mm long, sparsely pubescent, apex glabrous, surrounded below by a tuft of hairs. Perianth tube 6 mm long, pubescent, segments free towards the base. Claw 1.5 mm long, glabrous, recurved 180° and more. Limb 1.5 mm long, linear, glabrous, obtuse, hooked, anterior flattened. Staminodes 0.5 mm, linear, anterior occasionally absent, attached to a rudimentary filament. Ovary 1 mm long, ovoid, sparsely pubescent. Style 7 mm long, filiform, glabrous. Stigma 0.6 mm broad, terminal-oblique. Hypogynous scales 3 mm long, yellow, subulate. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube above the hypogynous scales. Receptacle 5.5 mm long, 1.7 mm diam., clavate. Mature female head dehiscent, 1.8 cm diam., globose, glabrous, reddish-brown. Fruit a nut, 6.5 mm long, 9 mm broad, 4 mm thick, dusky brown, biconvex, laterally ridged-glabrous except for one or two weak hairs.