''Leucadendron pondoense'', the Pondoland conebush, is a flower-bearing

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 ...

that belongs to the

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 ...

Leucadendron ''Leucadendron'' is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the family Proteaceae, endemic to the Cape Provinces and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa, where they are a prominent part of the fynbos ecoregion and vegetation type. Desc ...

'' and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the

Eastern Cape The Eastern Cape ( ; ) is one of the nine provinces of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, and its largest city is Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth). Due to its climate and nineteenth-century towns, it is a common location for tourists. It is also kno ...

, South Africa, where it occurs in the

Pondoland Pondoland or Mpondoland (Mpondo: ''EmaMpondweni''), is a natural region on the South African shores of the Indian Ocean. It is located in the coastal belt of the Eastern Cape province. Its territory is the former Mpondo Kingdom of the Mpondo peopl ...

from Port St. Johns to Port Edward.

Description

The shrub grows tall and flowers from September to December. The plant dies after a fire but the seeds survive. The seeds are stored in a toll on the female plant and fall to the ground after a fire, possibly spreading by the wind. The plant is

unisexual Dioecy ( ; ; adj. dioecious, ) is a characteristic of certain species that have distinct unisexual individuals, each producing either male or female gametes, either directly (in animals) or indirectly (in seed plants). Dioecious reproduction is ...

and there are separate plants with male and female flowers, which are pollinated by the wind.

Distribution and habitat

The plant grows in river beds. The tree's national number is 81.4. In Afrikaans, it is known as ''Pondotolbos''.

Gallery

Leucadendron pondoense S-0036 143.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0035 142.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0038 145.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0039 146.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0040 147.jpg Leucadendron pondoense 1DS-II 1730.jpg Leucadendron pondoense 1DS-II 1731.jpg Leucadendron pondoense S-0051 158.jpg

References

*http://redlist.sanbi.org/species.php?species=794-102 *http://biodiversityexplorer.info/plants/proteaceae/leucadendron_pondoense.htm *https://www.proteaatlas.org.za/conebu.htm {{Taxonbar, from=Q18076875 pondoense Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces