Aulax umbellata male flowers

Aulax plants or featherbushes are dioecious, i.e. the male and female flowers occur on separate plants. This is the case with many Proteaceae, to which the three Western Cape Aulax species belong. The female flower and fruit appear in a woody cupule of incurved branches. The male flowers are spike-like terminal racemes.

These male flowers belong to A. umbellata, the plant having broad leaves. The other two species, A. cancellata and A. pallasia both have narrow leaves. A. cancellata reseeds and has channelled leaves. A. pallasia is multi-stemmed, resprouting from its fire-resistant woody rootstock and bears unchannelled leaves (Manning, 2007; iSpot).