Leucospermum bolusii

Leucospermum bolusii is a shrub producing clusters of white flowerheads blooming in spring and early summer. The rounded bush may reach a height of 1,5 m and it yields good cut-flowers, as do many of the Leucospermum species.

Fire is a risk as the plant does not regrow if badly burnt, but the seeds do survive. The seeds of this pincushion are often carried underground by ants for the food provided by the fleshy part or elaiosome inside the skin. The seed itself is not affected by the ants; it will germinate later in favourable conditions, making the ants good partner.

The species distribution is very restricted, the plants only growing naturally on the mountain facing the eastern coast of False Bay from Gordon’s Bay to Kogel Bay, giving rise to the common name of Gordon’s Bay pincushion.

In spite of a small distribution the plant is well established in its habitat, a region where protection is reasonably well in place. Still, it is considered vulnerable in habitat early in the twenty first century, due to urban development, alien vegetation invasion and too frequent fires (www.plantzafrica.com; http://redlist.sanbi.org).