Leucadendron salignum (Leucadendron salignum)

Description

Leucadendron salignum is an evergreen, stiff, upright shrub of up to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) high, with soft, silky hairs pressed against the branches, with variable leaf sizes and bract colour.. Its rigid but rather thin leathery leaves are oblong linear or lance-shaped linear, 2 1⁄2–7 1⁄2 cm (0.98–2.95 in) long, 3 1⁄4–6 1⁄2 mm (0.13–0.26 in) wide, gradually pointy or with the midrib extended in a pointy tip, with soft, silky hairs pressed against the leaf surface. Like in all species of Leucadendron, the male and female flower heads are on different plants. The male flower head may be yellow or burgundy red, is cone- or egg-shaped, 8–19 cm (3.1–7.5 in) long, hardly about 1 1⁄4 cm (0.49 in) across, subtended by an involucre of several leaves of about 1.9 cm (0.75 in) long that are often covered in rusty-coloured soft hairs. The bract subtending the individual male flower is covered with long soft hairs, about 1⁄2 mm (0.020 in) long, oblong in shape and the tip almost pointed. The lower part of the 4-merous perianth of the male flower that remains merged upon opening called tube is 1 1⁄2 mm (0.059 in) long, somewhat compressed and covered with long soft hairs. The middle part that consists of four free segments ones the flower opens (called claws) are linear to spade-shaped, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, and covered with long soft hairs. The higher part consists of four segments (called limbs) that are about 1⁄2 mm (0.020 in) long, elliptic with a somewhat blunt tip, and softly hairy, and are directly merged with the anthers without a filament, 1⁄2 mm (0.020 in) long, oblong in shape. The rudimentary style in the male flower is about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, thread-shaped, hairless with an egg-shaped stigma of 1⁄2 mm (0.020 in) long. At the base of the style are four line-shaped scales of 1⁄2 mm (0.020 in) long. The young female flower head is oblong to cylinder-shaped and about 1 1⁄4 cm (0.49 in) long. The involucral leaves are often ivory in colour and may conceal the head. Inflorescences can be either yellow or red.The bract subtending the individual female flower is softly hairy, transversely oblong, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) broad. The perianth tube of the female flower is covered with long soft hairs, about 2 mm (0.079 in) long, and compressed. The segments in the middle part are about 1 mm (0.039 in) long, line-shaped, and covered with long soft hairs. The four segments in the higher part are 1⁄3 mm (0.013 in) long, oblong, and covered with long soft hairs. The staminodes are 1⁄4 mm (0.0098 in) long and line-shaped. The style is hairless, about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, line-shaped but broadening towards the cut-off stigma. The ovary is covered with long soft hairs, compressed oblong in shape, and about 1 mm (0.039 in) long. It is subtended by four line-shaped scales of 1 1⁄2 mm (0.059 in) long. The mature female head is egg-shaped, 2 1⁄2–3 1⁄4 cm (0.98–1.28 in) long, and nearly 2 1⁄2 cm (0.98 in) across. The mature bracts are covered with densely matted woolly hairs on the outside. The fruits are elliptic, about 4 mm (0.16 in) long, compressed, with a hairless and wrinkled surface.