Leucadendron tinctum I.Williams

Common Name and Taxonomy

Leucadendron tinctum, commonly called the spicy conebush, is a flowering shrub in the genus Leucadendron that is part of South Africa’s fynbos vegetation.

Native Distribution

It is native to the Western Cape province, where its distribution spans from the Hex River Mountains to the Hottentots Holland Mountains and the Langeberg.

Size and Flowering Period

This shrub reaches a mature height of 1.3 meters, and produces flowers between July and August each year.

Fire Response

Mature plants are killed by wildfire, but their seeds are able to survive fire events.

Seed Characteristics

Seeds are held in a cone structure on female plants, and drop to the ground two months after flowering finishes.

Sexual System

The species is unisexual, with separate individual male and female plants.

Pollination

Pollination and fertilization is carried out by small beetles.

Habitat and Elevation

It grows primarily in rocky or sandstone-derived soils, at elevations ranging from 300 to 1000 meters above sea level.

Afrikaans Common Name

In Afrikaans, this species is called toffie-appel tolbos.