Serruria rubricaulis

Serruria rubricaulis is one of the south-western Cape members of this attractive Proteaceae genus of curly spiderheads comprising about 50 species. The leaves of Serruria plants consist of feathery, erect, cylindrical segments; in this case there are about 12 to 18 of them on a leaf. This species will grow to a height of 30 cm.

Several of the Serruria species, including S. rubricaulis, have flowers without bracts, positioned among the leaves at branch tips. The whitish pink and woolly florets making up the mop-head flower appearance start off as dense clusters of curved buds. The blooming season is late winter and spring. Both sexes are found in the same flower. They are pollinated by insects. The fruit is released about two months after flowering. Seeds are distributed by ants that carry them off and eat non-vital parts.

The stems of S. rubricaulis are markedly reddish, a feature used in the specific name of rubricaulis. The plant resprouts after fires from an underground rootstock, unlike S. adscendens, a similar looking, but reseeder species (Bean and Johns, 2005; www.fernkloof.com; www.protea.worldonline.co.za).