Protea welwitschii Engl.

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Protea welwitschii

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road between Kaperekeza turn-off and Chowo Forest, Nyika National Park

Protea welwitschii

Photo: Bart Wursten
Road between Kaperekeza turn-off and Chowo Forest, Nyika National Park

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Synonyms: Leucadendron leucolepharis Hiern
Leucadendron welwitschii (Engl.) Hiern
Protea abyssinica Willd. var. adolphi-friderici Engl.
Protea abyssinica Willd. var. brevifolia Engl.
Protea congensis Engl.
Protea eickii Engl.
Protea goetzeana Engl.
Protea hirta Klotzsch
Protea leucoblepharis (Hiern) Baker
Protea melliodora Engl. & Gilg
Protea myrsinifolia Engl. & Gilg
Protea obtusifolia De Wild.
Protea swynnertonii S. Moore
Protea uhehensis Engl.
Scolymocephalus hirtus Kuntze
Common names: Cluster-head protea (English) Honey-scented protea (English) Rusty velvet protea (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Large multi-stemmed shrub. It is easily distinguished from other species by its leaves, which are densely covered in short velvety hairs, although older leaves may be nearly glabrous. Flowerheads terminal, often produced in groups of 2 to 4. Bracts pale yellowish to brown, flowers creamy-white, turning rusty brown with age, very hairy.
Notes: Current opinion does not recognize subdivisions, preferring to regard the various forms as belonging to a single polymorphic species.
Derivation of specific name: welwitschii: Named after the Austrian botanist, Friedrich Martin Welwitsch (1806-1872)
Habitat: In Brachystegia woodland, wooded grassland and on rocky hillsides.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:Dec - May
Worldwide distribution: Angola, DRC, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Malawi distribution: N,C,S
Growth form(s): Tree.
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated: Thursday 4 October 2018
Literature:

Beard, J.S. (1963). The genus Protea in Tropical Africa Kirkia 3 Pages 175 - 182. (Includes a picture).

Beard, J.S. (1992). The Proteas of Tropical Africa Kangaroo Press Pages 44 - 48. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 230. as Protea welwitschii welwitschii

Burrows, J.E., Burrows, S.M., Lötter, M.C. & Schmidt, E. (2018). Trees and Shrubs Mozambique Publishing Print Matters (Pty), Cape Town. Page 106. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 45. As Protea welwitschii welwitschii

Chisumpa, S.M., Brummitt, R.K. & Marner, S. (2006). Proteaceae Flora Zambesiaca 9(3) Pages 75 - 77.

Coates Palgrave, K. (revised and updated by Meg Coates Palgrave) (2002). Trees of Southern Africa 3rd edition. Struik, South Africa Pages 178 - 179.

Coates Palgrave, K. et al. (1956). Trees of Central Africa National Publications Trust, Salisbury. Pages 356 - 358. as Protea melliodora (Includes a picture).

Coates Palgrave, M. (1989). Guide to the trees and shrubs of the Mukuvisi Woodlands ?publisher. Page 5.

Drummond, R.B. (1975). A list of trees, shrubs and woody climbers indigenous or naturalised in Rhodesia. Kirkia 10(1) Page 235.

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 69.

Plowes, D.C.H. & Drummond, R.B. (1990). Wild Flowers of Zimbabwe. Revised edition. Longman, Zimbabwe. No. 39, plate 60

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 156.

Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 98.

Other sources of information about Protea welwitschii:

Our websites:

Flora of Caprivi: cultivated Protea welwitschii
Flora of Mozambique: Protea welwitschii
Flora of Zambia: Protea welwitschii
Flora of Zimbabwe: Protea welwitschii

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Protea welwitschii
African Plant Database: Protea welwitschii
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Protea welwitschii
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Protea welwitschii
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Protea welwitschii
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Protea welwitschii
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Protea welwitschii
JSTOR Plant Science: Protea welwitschii
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Protea welwitschii
Plants of the World Online: Protea welwitschii
Tropicos: Protea welwitschii
Wikipedia: Protea welwitschii


Copyright: Mark Hyde, Bart Wursten, Petra Ballings and Meg Coates Palgrave, 2014-24

Hyde, M.A., Wursten, B.T., Ballings, P. & Coates Palgrave, M. (2024). Flora of Malawi: Species information: Protea welwitschii.
https://www.malawiflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=120800, retrieved 29 March 2024

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