About Protea angolensis Welw.
Leaf Characteristics
The leaves of Protea angolensis Welw. are leathery, hairless, green to bluish-green, and oval-shaped, reaching 16 cm × 8 cm (6.3 in × 3.1 in) in size.
Inflorescence Size
Its inflorescences, also called flowerheads, grow solitarily, and may reach approximately 10 cm × 12 cm (3.9 in × 4.7 in) in size, sometimes smaller, with a diameter between 8 and 12 cm (3.1–4.7 in).
Involucral Bract Color
Its involucral bracts range in color from pale green to bright pink or red.
Inner Bract Hair Coverage
The inner bracts can be either heavily or sparsely covered in silvery silky hairs, and this difference is usually caused by the age of the inflorescence, as the hairs fall off as the structure ages.
Fruit Type
The fruit is a densely hairy nut.
Intraspecific Taxonomy
GBIF recognizes three varieties of Protea angolensis.
Variety divaricata Traits
One of these, var. divaricata, is a small tree that grows up to 4 m (13 ft) tall, grows in miombo vegetation, and flowers later than the nominate form, blooming from April to July.
Variety divaricata Coloration
The flowers and bracts of var. divaricata are bright pink, dark pink to red.
Overall Species Distribution
This species occurs in northern, central and eastern Zimbabwe, across all of Zambia, western Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, southern and western Tanzania, northern Malawi, and in a limited area of Mozambique, restricted only to Tete.
Zambia Distribution Details
In Zambia, it is found across the whole country, and has been recorded in North-Western Province, Northern Province (specifically the Bangweulu Wetlands), Lusaka Province, Southern Province and Western Province.
Host Plant Role
Ecologically, this species is the host plant for the larvae of the butterflies Capys disjunctus and C. connexivus.
