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Skirted Spiderheads - Serrurias
Strawberry Spiderhead - Serruria
aemula aemula
![Strawberry Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](seaemua.jpg) |
Habit: A straggly, much branched shrub up
to 0.5m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Endangered because of urbanization
Habitat: Sands, 0-70m
Distribution: Cape Flats from Cape Town to Firgrove |
Strawberry Spiderhead - Serruria
aemula congesta
![Strawberry Spiderhead - Scanned: Ismail Ebrahim](seaemuc.jpg) |
Habit: A straggly, much branched shrub up
to 0.5m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Extinct due to urbanization
Habitat: Sands, 50m
Distribution: Firgrove near Somerset West |
Wynberg Spiderhead - Serruria cyanoides
![Wynberg Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](secyan.jpg) |
Habit: Multi-stemmed, with erect stems
0.3-0.5m tall
Fire survival: Resprouts from an underground rootstock
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Vulnerable to extinction - eliminated from Cape Flats of
Cape Town and survives only at higher altitudes in its previous distributional range.
Habitat: Sandy soils, 0-150m
Distribution: Cape Peninsula and Cape Flats |
Kraaifontein Spiderhead - Serruria
furcellata
![Kraaifontein Spiderhead - Photo: Ismail Ebrahim](sefurc.jpg) |
Habit: Multi-stemmed
erect shrub with a rootstock, up to 0.5m tall
Fire survival: Resprouts from an underground rootstock
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: August - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Extinct - in cultivation at University
of Western Cape and Kirstenbosch
Habitat: Sands, 90-310m
Distribution: Brackenfell, Kraaifontein and Kuilsriver |
Forlorn Spiderhead - Serruria scoparia
![Forlorn Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](sescop4.jpg) |
Habit: A sprawling shrub up to 0.5m tall
Fire survival: Resprouts from an underground rootstock
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: August - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Vulnerable to extinction due to agriculture. It is known
from three remnant populations numbering less than 50 plants. It was originally collected
near Paarl, 25km south of the discovered populations.
Habitat: Sandy alluvial soils over shale, 100m
Distribution: Riebeeck-East to Paarl
Note: This species was rediscovered in September, 2001 and hadn't
previously been seen since 1810 |
Blushing Bride - Serruria florida
![Blushing Bride - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](seflor.jpg) |
Habit: Spindly shrub 2 m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Vulnerable - only known from a few stands at one site on
the edge of pine plantations
Habitat: Granite-derived soils, 600-620m
Distribution: Assegaaiboskloof near Franshhoek |
Graceful Spiderhead - Serruria gracilis
![Graceful Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](segrac.jpg) |
Habit: Prostrate shrub 0.05 - 0.1m tall
Fire survival: Resprouts from an underground rootstock
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Rare, isolated populations of scattered plants
Habitat: Sands and granite slopes, 150-310m
Distribution: Cape Flats at Durbanville to Hottentots Holland and Du
Toits Kloof Mountains |
Spindly Spiderhead - Serruria
heterophylla
![Spindly Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](sehete.jpg) |
Habit: An erect shrub up to
1m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Rare, a highly social species known from 2
major populations
Habitat: Sandstone soils, 90-310m
Distribution: Kleinmond and Klein River Mountains, with a
possible record from Caledon Swartberg |
Needle-leaf Spiderhead - Serruria
linearis
![Needle-leaf Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](seline.jpg) |
Habit: An erect shrub up to 0.8m tall
Fire survival: Resprouts from an underground rootstock
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: August - November
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Endangered owing to agriculture and invading acacias
Habitat: Sands, 120-190m
Distribution: Dassenberg Flats near Malmesbury |
Bearded Spiderhead - Serruria
phylicoides
![Bearded Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](sephyl.jpg) |
Habit: Spindly shrub 1m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: August - November
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Not threatened
Habitat: Sandstone sands, slopes and flats, 330-1800m
Distribution: Du Toit's Kloof to Hottentots-Holland to Riviersonderend
and Klein River Mountains |
Graceful Spiderhead - Serruria pinnata
![Graceful Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](sepinn.jpg) |
Habit: Prostrate shrub 0.05 - 0.1m tall
Fire survival: Resprouts from an underground rootstock
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: July - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Endangered, only one population of 20 plants could be
relocated in 2001
Habitat: Sands and granite slopes, 80-100m
Distribution: Cape Flats at Durbanville to Hottentots Holland Mountains
Note: Although this species is not recognized in the latest catalogue of
Cape Flora plants, it is quite distinct from its sister species Serruria gracilis,
in having thick sprawling stems (ie. not a mat) and bigger flowerheads with distinct
pollen presenter markings on the upper perianth. |
Rose Spiderhead - Serruria rosea
![Rose Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](serose.jpg) |
Habit: An erect shrub 0.8-1.5m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: August - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Dense isolated stands
Habitat: Sandy soils, 300-620m
Distribution: Slanghoek to Franschhoek in the Hottentot Holland Mountains
|
Star Spiderhead - Serruria stellata
![Rose Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](sestel.jpg) |
Habit: A prostrate shrub with creeping
stems up to 0.2m tall
Fire survival: Killed, only seeds survive
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: September - November
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Locally abundant
Habitat: Sandstone sands, 900-1200m
Distribution: Western Riviersonderend Mountains from Wolfieskop to
Jonaskop |
Trident Spiderhead - Serruria trilopha
![Trident Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw](setril.jpg) |
Habit: A sprawling, multi-stemmed shrub
with a rootstock up to 0.8m tall
Fire survival: Resprouts from an underground rootstock
Sexual system: Both sexes in each flower
Flowers: August - October
Pollinator: Insects
Fruit: Released 2 months after flowering
Seed dispersal: Ants
Seed storage: Underground in ants nests
Rarity status: Endangered, owing to urbanisation and agriculture
Habitat: Sands sands, 50-310m
Distribution: Cape Peninsula and Cape Flats to Malmesbury |
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