Protea cordata

Protea cordata, commonly the heartleaf sugarbush, is a low-growing, dwarf shrub reaching 50 cm in height and spreading to 30 cm in diameter. The multi-stemmed plant grows from a woody underground base, the reddish stems not branching again higher up. There are brown, scale leaves at the stem-base. 

The specific name, cordata, is derived from the Latin words cor or cordis both meaning the heart and the word part -atus indicating possession or likeness, referring to the heart-shaped leaves.

A cluster of brown flowerheads are produced at the base of the stem. The stalked flowerhead becomes about 5 cm in diameter, growing from leaf axils. There are four or five rows of papery involucral bracts around the flowerhead, overlapping loosely. When the bracts part in the centre, the open flowerhead displays a multitude of tiny creamy florets with red tips. Flowering happens in midwinter.

The distribution of P. cordata is in the southwest of the Western Cape from Du Toit’s Kloof to the mountains around Bredasdorp; also found in the Riviersonderend Mountains.

The plant grows from sea level to 1200 m in all habitats found in the region. The species is considered near threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century, due to alien species invasion and in the past to timber plantations (Bean and Johns, 2005; Rebelo, 1995; Rourke, 1980; Andrew, 2017; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).