Leucospermum truncatulum

Leucospermum truncatulum, the oval-leaved pincushion and in Afrikaans the patrysbos (partridge bush), is a single-stemmed, sparsely branched shrub reaching heights to about 2 m.

The plants are pollinated by insects, their seeds dispersed by elaiosome-eating ants.

The species distribution is small and coastal in the southwest of the Western Cape from the Kogelberg to the Soetanysberg.

The habitat is sandstone fynbos mountain slopes. The species is considered near threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century, due to agriculture, alien vegetation invasion, Protea farming and flower harvesting.

Well-drained sandy soil derived from sandstone with low pH and rich in nutrients are required for cultivating this plant that does respond well, also in less acid soils (Manning, 2007; Matthews and Carter, 1993; Eliovson, 1973; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).