Protea L.

	Protea cynaroides King Protea: stem Photo: © California Cut Flower Commission

sugarbush

Most commonly cultivated

Protea cynaroides (L.) L. includes 'King Protea'

Other species

P. compacta R. Br.

P. eximia (Knight) Fourc.

P. grandiceps Tratt.

P. lacticolor Salisb.

P. magnifica Link

P. mundii Klotzsch

P. nana (Bergius) Thunb.

P. neriifolia R. Br.

P. pityphylla Phillips¹

P. repens (L.) L.

P. scolymocephala (L.) Reichard

hybrids based on these species, as well as on P. burchelli Stapf and P. susannae Phillips.

South Africa and north to tropical Africa.

Entire, ovate to oblong, leathery leaves; dense solitary head of irregular, elongate flowers, enclosed in involucre of imbricate, showy, colored bracts; perianth of 4 segments, of which 3 are connate, and 1 free; 3 fertile stamens associated with the 3 connate segments, and 1 sterile stamen associated with the 1 free segment; style long, stiff, needle-like.

Leaves commonly oblong, also linear, elliptic and other shapes; leaf apices rounded to acute; heads to 20 cm across; involucre cup-shaped or turbinate to narrowly funnel-shaped; involucral bracts vary in shape and color from red and pink to green, with apices rounded to acute.

South Africa, Zimbabwe.