Leucadendron salicifolium (Salisb.) I.Williams

Shrubs up to 3 m, erect, arising from a single stem at the ground. Branches erect, glabrous or with a few scattered weak hairs in the younger plants. Leaves 6 cm long, 5 mm broad, linear, glabrous, thinly coriaceous, acute, apiculate, twisted 90° below, somewhat falcate, juveniles thinly pubescent. Male inflorescence 1.3 cm long, 9 mm diam., solitary at the ends of numerous short branchlets, surrounded but not concealed by a few leaves, with a small but conspicuous involucre of light coloured basal bracts, giving off a faintly fruity smell. Basal bracts about 7 mm long, 3 mm broad, 7 in number, glabrous, acute, short-ciliate. Floral bract 1 mm long, 0.5 mm broad at the base, truncate with a few hairs at the apex. Floral bud 3.5 mm long, glabrous, with an enlarged sub-cubical head, flattened above, snapping open to discharge the pollen. Perianth tube 1 mm long, glabrous. Claw 1 mm long, recurved through 45°, glabrous. Limb 1.5 mm long, concave, glabrous, hooked at the apex. Anther 1.3 mm long, spathulate, connective dark brown. Pollen triangular in polar view with sides 30 µ, polar depth 20 µ. Style 2 mm long, glabrous. Stigma abortive, 1 mm long, narrowly clavate, deflexed, does not act as a pollen presenter. Hypogynous scales 0.5 mm long, narrow, yellow. Nectar in minute quantities occasionally seen. Receptacle 8 mm long, 1.3 mm diam., cylindrical. Female inflorescence 1.4 cm long, 1 cm diam., ovoid, green, solitary at the ends of branches and branchlets, exceeded but not concealed by a few leaves, giving off a faintly fruity smell. Basal bracts 1.1 cm long, 4.5 mm broad, about 10 in number, ovate, acute, glabrous, ciliate, edges rolled in towards the apex, closely imbricating the lower part of the head. Floral bract 3.5 mm long, 7 mm broad, broadly oval, sub-retuse, glabrous, sparsely ciliate. Floral bud transversely compressed, pubescent, with the stigma protruding. Perianth tube 4 mm long, compressed, pubescent. Limb 0.7 mm long, glabrous, anterior absent. Staminodes 0.2 mm long, vestigal, anterior absent. Ovary 0.7 mm long, ovoid, sparsely pubescent. Style 4 mm long, glabrous. Stigma up to 1.7 mm long, lateral, oval. Hypogynous scales 0.7 mm long. Nectar not found. Receptacle 1.1 cm long, 2.5 mm diam., clavate. Mature female head a cone, 3-4 cm long, 2.5-3 cm diam., glabrous, with bracts broad and laterally lobed. Fruit 5.5 mm long, 5 mm broad, trigonal, black, pitted, sparsely pubescent, perimeter narrowly winged or ridged, with a median ridge and with a few hairs surrounding the basal scar.