Phylica pubescens Aiton

국표에 없다.

This attractive bush is densely covered with hairy leaves and each hair seems to gather the sunlight and make it glow. Early morning or late afternoon sun shining behind the featherhead bush makes all other plants dull by comparison!

Description

The branches of this erect, 1.2-2 m tall bush are clothed with leathery, hair-covered narrow leaves, which become crowded at the branch tips. Each branch ends in a flattened flowerhead, comprising rings of feathery bracts amongst which the tiny flowers nestle. These flowers are white with long brownish tips and have a faint cinnamon scent. They flower in autumn and winter (May to August), but the flowers themselves are not particularly noticeable unless viewed from close up. It is the buff or grey-coloured bracts amongst which they are situated that attract attention.

The flowers are followed by fruits, which turn from green to brown when ripe (in October and November). These are hard, 3-valved capsules which split open to each release a dark brown seed with an elaiosome (appendage which attracts animals/insects) attached.

Distribution and habitat

From the Cape Peninsula as far east as Albertinia on dry, lower, limestone and sandstone slopes and flats.

Derivation of name and historical aspects

The flowering tips are surrounded by densely feathery bristles, which give rise to the common names in both English and Afrikaans; pubescens, as part of the scientific name, well describes the hairy nature of the plant.

Both Phylica pubescens and the fairly similar P. plumosa were grown in European gardens from the 17th-18th centuries. Considering how striking these species are, it is not surprising that P. plumosa was amongst the first of the dried specimens to reach Europe from the Cape.

There are about 150 species occurring in Africa and Madagascar as well as some of the South Atlantic islands. There is one species on Tristan da Cuhna. There are many attractive species of Phylica, all displaying hard leathery leaves from which the general family name of hardeblaar, meaning hard-leaved, comes from.

Phylica pubescens | PlantZAfrica (sanbi.org)

 

 

 

 

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