About Serruria cygnea R.Br.
Common Name and Taxonomy
Serruria cygnea, commonly known as the swan spiderbush, is a flowering shrub in the genus Serruria that is part of the fynbos vegetation.
Distribution
This plant is endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa, where it grows in the Sandveld, and ranges from the Cederberg to the Slanghoekberge and Hexrivierberge regions.
Size
The shrub reaches up to 1.0 metre in height, and produces flowers from September to November.
Fire Response
It can resprout after wildfire.
Seed Dispersal
Two months after flowering finishes, the fruit drops, and ants disperse the plant's seeds by storing them in their nests.
Reproduction
Serruria cygnea is unisexual, and pollination is carried out by insects.
Habitat
It grows in sandstone and shale soils at elevations between 350 and 950 metres.
