About Protea subulifolia (Knight) Rourke
Protea subulifolia, commonly called the awl-leaf sugarbush, is a flowering shrub in the Protea genus. It is native to the Western Cape of South Africa, where its range extends from Stettynskloof to the Riviersonderendberge mountains, the Langeberg mountains, the Bot River area, and the Elim plain. This shrub grows to 70 cm in height, with a diameter of 50 cm, and flowers between July and September. Wildfires kill the mature plant, but its seeds survive. The seeds are held inside a woody shell and dispersed by wind. P. subulifolia is unisexual, and pollination is carried out by rats and mice. It grows in soils ranging from sandy to heavy clay, at elevations between 60 and 1 300 metres above sea level. Its leaves are highly variable, ranging from needle-shaped to grooved and round. The involucral bracts have a soft papery texture, and are brown or pink in colour. In Afrikaans, this species is called Naaldblaarsuikerbos.
