Leucadendron sheilae I.Williams

Shrubs up to 1 m high, glaucous, glabrous, with greenish flowers, develop ing from a single stem at ground level. Branches erect, short, slender glabrous, becoming reddish. Leaves of the male plant 2.6 cm long, 3.5 mr broad, of the female plant 2.9 cm long, 4.5 mm broad, in both sexes narrowh oblanceolate, apex acute with a small mucro, narrowed to the base, glaucous glabrous, semi-erect. Involucral leaves slightly larger, more crowded, curling upwards, not concealing the head. Male inflorescence 1 cm long, 1.5 cn diam., flattened above, solitary, terminal, giving off a rather foetid smell. Basa bracts 6 mm long, 5 mm broad, about 38 cm number, ovate, glabrous, eciliate somewhat varnished, reddened, apex elevated, imbricating the base and side of the head. Floral bract 5 mm long, 0.5 mm broad, linear, obtuse, ape glabrous and reddened, densely pubescent in the upper third, a few hair below. Floral bud 6.b mm long, glabrous, green, surrounded below by a tuft hairs. Perianth tube 5 mm long, glabrous, surrounded below by a tuft of hairs Claw 1 mm long, recurved 180°, glabrous, green. Limb 2.2 mm long, concave hooked, glabrous. Anther 1.8 mm long, linear, curled upwards. Polle triangular in polar view with blunt apices and sides 38p long, polar depth 27| Stigma abortive, 1.7 mm long, narrowly clavate, obtuse or minutely retuse erect, acting as a pollen presenter. Style 5.5 mm long, glabrous and narrowe above, pubescent below. Hypogynous scales 4 mm long, yellow, acicula Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 2 mm long, 4 mr diam., conical, narrowing below on the part which bears the basa bracts. Female inflorescence 8 mm long, 6.5 mm diam., globose, solitar terminal, with the green florets clustered at the apex. Basal bracts 4 mm Iong5 mm broad, similar to the male. Floral bract 4 mm long, 6.5 mm broad, Broadly ovate, obtuse, eciliate, varnished and glabrous above, pubescent below. Floral bud4.5 mm long, glabrous above, densely pubescent in the middle, surrounded below by a tuft of hairs, bent 90°. Perianth tube 3 mm long, densely pubescent, transversely compressed. Claw 1 mm long, recurved 90°, glabrous. Limb 1 mm long, glabrous, hooked. Staminode 0.5 mm long. Ovary 0.8 mm long, ovoid, sparsely short-pubescent. Style 4.8 mm long, glabrous, narrower below. Stigma 0.5 mm diam., sub-lateral. Hypogynous scales 2.5 mm long, subulate, pale orange. Nectar seen at the throat of the perianth tube. Receptacle 5 mm long, 2 mm diam., narrowly conical. Mature female head dehiscent, 1.6 cm diam., globose, glabrescent, with bracts sparsely pubescent below. Fruit a nut 5.5 mm long, 8-9 mm broad, 4.5 mm thick, biconvex, brown, virtually glabrous.