| Protea parvula | |
|---|---|
| |
| Conservation status | |
 Near Threatened (IUCN 3.1) | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Order: | Proteales |
| Family: | Proteaceae |
| Genus: | Protea |
| Species: | P. parvula |
| Binomial name | |
| Protea parvula Beard | |
Protea parvula, also known as the dainty sugarbush, or kleinsuikerbos in Afrikaans, is a small flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea.
Taxonomy
It was first described in 1958 from Mpumalanga (then part of the former Transvaal province) by John Stanley Beard.
Description
It is a low-growing, creeping, shrubby groundcover, growing only up to 16cm in height.
Sources differ on the ability of this species to survive wildfires. According to one source it is long-lived, with plants surviving over a century, and can regrow after fire from an underground bole or rootstock, another source states the plant is killed by fire. The seeds are released by the plant as soon as the woody fruit is ripe, from April to July, and are dispersed by the wind. The seeds are fire-proof, and simply lie on the ground until germination.
Protea parvula flowers in the summer, from December to March. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower. The flowers are pollinated by birds.
Distribution
Protea parvula is found on the slopes of the Drakensberg Mountains, from Mariepskop, through Mpumalanga and eSwatini, to Vryheid in central northern KwaZulu-Natal. It grows in rocky, exposed grassland on acid soils, at elevations of 1,300 to 2,150 meters.
Conservation
In 1996 it was assessed as "not threatened" in the Red data list of southern African plants, but in 2009 it was re-assessed as "near threatened", due to an estimated population reduction of 20-30%, caused by a loss of 28% of its natural habitat over the past century. It is primarily threatened by the planting of forests of non-native pine trees (afforestation) as well as mining for soapstone. It may, however, be locally common.
The species is protected in the Malolotja Nature Reserve in eSwatini.
References
- Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L.; Lötter, M.C. (2020). "Protea parvula". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T113212131A185562660. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T113212131A185562660.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ "Protea parvula". International Plant Names Index. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries and Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
- ^ Rebelo, A.G.; Mtshali, H.; von Staden, L. (14 August 2009). "Dainty Sugarbush". Red List of South African Plants. version 2020.1. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Protea parvula (Dainty sugarbush)". Biodiversity Explorer. Iziko - Museums of South Africa. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- ^ "Grassland Sugarbushes Sugarbushes - Proteas". Protea Atlas Project Website. 11 March 1998. Retrieved 11 July 2020.
- "Protea parvula Beard". Plants of the World Online. Kew Science. 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2020.
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Protea parvula | |
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