About Protea parvula Beard
Protea parvula Beard is a low-growing, creeping, shrubby groundcover that reaches a maximum height of 16cm. Different sources disagree on how this species survives wildfires. One source says it is long-lived, with individual plants living over a century, and that it can regrow after fire from an underground bole or rootstock. Another source states the plant is killed by fire. Seeds are released by the plant as soon as the woody fruit ripens, between April and July, and are dispersed by wind. The seeds are fire-resistant and remain on the ground until conditions are right for germination. Protea parvula flowers in summer, from December to March. This species is monoecious, meaning each individual flower contains both male and female reproductive structures. Its flowers are pollinated by birds. Protea parvula occurs on the slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains, ranging from Mariepskop, through Mpumalanga and eSwatini, to Vryheid in central northern KwaZulu-Natal. It grows in rocky, exposed grassland on acid soils, at elevations between 1,300 and 2,150 meters.
