Leucospermum cordifolium highly strung styles

Leucospermum cordifolium, luisiesbos (little lice bush) in Afrikaans, has been grown successfully so much beyond its natural habitat that many are surprised to see how small the plant’s distribution area in nature really is. It grows in the southwestern parts from the Kogelberg and Sir Lowry’s Pass to around Caledon and the Bredasdorp area on lower limestone and sandstone slopes in the fynbos.

The rounded shrub with its spreading and somewhat drooping branches may reach 1,5 m in height. The leaves are oval, lobed at the base and with one to six teeth at the tips.

The flowerheads grow in groups of up to three at the stem-tips. Flowerheads deviate from spherical by being flattened above. The wiry styles are gracefully incurved. Blooming occurs from August to January. 

A few nut-like seeds are produced per flowerhead. These are ant-distributed. The ants feed on the external elaiosomes and store the seeds in the ground (Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).