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Protea angolensis
Protea angolensis is also known as the Angolan protea,[1] northern protea[1] or northern sugarbush.[2] In Afrikaans it is known as the noordelijke suikerbos.[2] This is a dwarf, multistemmed shrub or small straggling tree occurring in open wooded grassland and miombo.[2][3] DescriptionThe leaves are leathery and hairless, green to bluish-green, oval-shaped, and measure 16 cm × 8 cm (6.3 in × 3.1 in) in size. The inflorescences (flowerheads) are solitary and may grow to approximately 10 cm × 12 cm (3.9 in × 4.7 in) in size,[2] sometimes smaller, 8–12 cm (3.1–4.7 in) in diameter.[1] The involucral bracts a pale green to bright pink or red colour. The inner bracts may be either heavily or sparely covered in silvery silky hairs.[2] This difference is often due to the age of the inflorescence, the hairs falling off as the structure becomes older.[1] The fruit is a densely hairy nut.[2] GBIF recognizes three varieties:[4]
DistributionThis species occurs in northern, central and eastern Zimbabwe,[2][5] throughout Zambia, western Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, southern and western Tanzania,[1] northern Malawi[6] and to a limited extent in Mozambique[2] (only in Tete).[1] In Zambia it occurs throughout the country, and has been recorded in North-Western Province, Northern Province[7] (Bangweulu Wetlands),[3] Lusaka Province, Southern Province and Western Province.[7] EcologyThe species is the host plant for the larvae of the butterflies Capys disjunctus and C. connexivus.[2] References
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