''Spatalla mollis'', the woolly spoon, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus ''

Spatalla ''Spatalla'' is a genus containing 20 species of flowering plants, commonly known as "spoons", in the family (biology), family Proteaceae. The genus is endemism, endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa where it is associated with fyn ...

'' and forms part of the

fynbos Fynbos (; , ) is a small belt of natural shrubland or heathland vegetation located in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa. The area is predominantly coastal and mountainous, with a Mediterranean climate. The fynbos ...

. The plant is native to the

Western Cape The Western Cape ( ; , ) is a provinces of South Africa, province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the List of South African provinces by area, fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , an ...

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 ...

Description

The shrub is flat, rounded, grows only tall and flowers from July to December. The plant dies after a fire but the seeds survive. The plant is

bisexual Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...

and pollinated by insects. Two months after the plant has flowered, the ripe seeds fall to the ground where they are spread by ants.

Distribution and habitat

The plant occurs in the

Hottentots Holland Mountains The Hottentots Holland Mountains are part of the Cape Fold Belt in the Western Cape, South Africa. The mountain range forms a barrier between the Cape Town metropolitan area and the southern Overberg coast. The range is primarily composed o ...

, Groenlandberg to Kleinmondberg. The plant grows in peaty soil in moist streams and river banks at elevations of .

References

External references

Threatened Species Programme , SANBI Red List of South African PlantsSpatalla mollis R.Br.Spatalla mollis R.Br. 1810
bl 100 mollis Endemic flora of the Cape Provinces Fynbos {{Proteaceae-stub