About Protea amplexicaulis (Salisb.) R.Br.
Protea amplexicaulis, commonly called the clasping-leaf sugarbush, is a flowering shrub in the genus Protea. This species is endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa, where its range extends from Citrusdal to the Kogelberg, and it also grows in the Langeberg. It is a low, spreading shrub that reaches up to 1.3 meters in diameter, and it flowers between June and September. Whole plants are killed by fire, but their seeds are able to survive. Seeds are held inside a shell and dispersed by wind. The species is unisexual, and pollination is carried out by rats and mice. It grows in sandstone soils at elevations between 180 and 1,600 meters. In Afrikaans, this plant is called ′aardroos-suikerbos′.
