Protea cryophila

Protea cryophila, the snowball sugarbush or the snow protea, grows one strong, main stem that is mainly hidden underground, the above-ground part prostrate. Many side-branches radiate out from the main stump of a mature specimen, interlocking densely around it, forming a spreading shrub of more than 2,5 m in diameter. Above-ground branches may reach heights of 50 cm, although leaves and flowerheads may be produced at ground level, common among the Protea species with underground stems. 

Long, hard, leathery leaves surround the flowerhead, their lower parts tapering into the sturdy petioles from the prominent, yellowish midribs.

Young flowerheads start arriving from midsummer, peaking at the end of summer, but new blooms continue to open until early autumn. The buds as i the photo match the snowy appearance. The involucral bracts are pale grey, while the massed floret tips peeping out at the centre of the head are very white.

The distribution of P. cryophila is limited to higher elevations in the Cederberg Mountains. From Sneeukop southwards for about 25 km and around the Sneeuberg in the south-west, the plant grows on several of the higher peaks and down to altitudes around 1000 m.

The habitat is rocky sandstone fynbos, often on rocky ledges. The plants are often snow-covered in winter. As some of the mountain names of the area suggest, the snowball sugarbush is annually often covered under snow for weeks on end. The specific name, cryophila is derived from the Greek words kruos meaning frost and philos meaning loving, referring to the plant's comfortable adjustment in the cold winter climate. Veld fires do not easily kill plants with so much stem protected underground, but the larger specimens, thought to be between fifty and seventy years of age, are too few these days (Rebelo, 1995; Rourke, 1980; Eliovson, 1973; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).