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Afrikaanse Inligting
Dune Conebush Duinegeelbos - Leucadendron coniferum
The Dune Conebush grows on the neutral sands of the Agulhas Plains (and on the Cape Peninsula). It is replaced by the Limestone Conebush on limestone, the Sickleleaf Conebush on sandstone and the Agulhas Conebush on shales. All these species belong to the Sunshine Conebushes, a group which turns our hillsides bright yellow in winter when they flower. Like the other Sunshine Conebushes mentioned above, the Dune Conebush is killed by fire. After flowering in spring, the fruit are stored in the cones on the female plants. There they remain until a fire kills the plants, and the seeds are released. They sail down on their flat wings and germinate after the first good autumn rains. Within three years the young plants have flowered and the seeds are ready, stored for the next fire. All Conebushes have separate sexes. The females bear the cones in which the seeds are stored. Thus while the males flower in spring and grow in summer, the females have the additional burden of bearing and growing the seeds. In many species, therefore, females die at a higher rate than males. Where picking for the cut flower trade is harsh, populations may contain few females - these populations will not replace themselves after a fire! Sustainable use requires that we monitor our plants in order to prevent over-exploitation.