'' Sorocephalus '' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

containing 11

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s, commonly known as powderpuffs, in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Proteaceae The Proteaceae form a family (biology), family of flowering plants predominantly distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. The family comprises 83 genus, genera with about 1,660 known species. Australia and South Africa have the greatest concentr ...

. The name means “heaped head”. The genus is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Cape Floristic Region The Cape Floral Region is a floristic region located near the southern tip of South Africa. It is the only floristic region of the Cape Floristic Kingdom, and includes only one floristic province, known as the Cape Floristic Province. The Cap ...

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...

, more particularly the winter rainfall zone of the southwestern Cape. The species are all small

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

s characterised by flower-heads containing clusters of four or more flowers. Most species are threatened.

Species

Described species are shown below, with their conservation status: * '' Sorocephalus alopecurus'' Rourke – Woolly-stalk powderpuff – EN * '' Sorocephalus capitatus'' Rourke – Woolly powderpuff – NT * '' Sorocephalus clavigerus'' (Knight) Hutch. – Erect powderpuff – EN * '' Sorocephalus crassifolius'' Hutch. – Flowerless powderpuff – CR * '' Sorocephalus imbricatus'' (Thunb.) R. Br. – Lanceolate-leaf powderpuff – CR * '' Sorocephalus lanatus'' R. Br. – Common powderpuff – LC * '' Sorocephalus palustris'' Rourke – Prostrate powderpuff – CR * '' Sorocephalus pinifolius'' Rourke – Long-leaf powderpuff – EN * '' Sorocephalus scabridus'' Meisn. – Tulbagh powderpuff – CR * '' Sorocephalus tenuifolius'' R.Br. – Diminutive powderpuff – EN * '' Sorocephalus teretifolius'' (Meisn.) E.Phillips – Pin-shaped powderpuff – EN

References

Proteoideae Proteaceae genera Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces {{Proteaceae-stub