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Skirted Spiderheads - Serrurias


Strawberry Spiderhead - Serruria aemula aemula

Strawberry Spiderhead - Photo: Nigel Forshaw 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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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