Leucadendron rubrum

Leucadendron rubrum, commonly known as the spinning top, in Afrikaans as the tolletjiesbos (little top bush) and the dikkopeierbos (dikkop egg bush), previously scientifically as L. plumosum, is an erect shrub reaching heights around 2,5 m. The plant grows from a single stem that branches above-ground, making it a reseeder after fire, not a resprouter.

The lance-shaped leaves are hairy when young, glabrous or smooth later. The leaves are narrow and twisted at the base, becoming over 3 cm long on male plants, up to 7 cm on female ones.

The species distribution is in the Western and Eastern Cape, from Ceres to Baviaanskloof and Humansdorp.

The plant grows on sandstone derived, fynbos mountain slopes that may be arid or moist, at elevations from 250 m to 1500 m. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org; https://redlist.sanbi.org).