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Sorocephalus crassifolius
Also called Flowerless Powderpuff
Sorocephalus crassifolius is a rare, low fynbos shrub from the Riviersonderend Mountains in the Western Cape, South Africa, now critically endangered with about 15 known wild plants. It is not realistically available to home gardeners, and it has not been reliably observed flowering since the 1980s.
Sorocephalus crassifolius, commonly known as the flowerless clusterhead, is a flowering shrub in the family Proteaceae. It forms part of the South African fynbos and is endemic to the Western Cape, specifically the Riviersonderendberge mountains. The plant was last observed flowering in the 1980s and is now critically endangered, with only 15 known individuals remaining.
This low-growing shrub reaches about 80 cm (31 in) in height and flowers between December and February. It is adapted to fire-prone environments and can resprout after burning. The species is bisexual, and insect pollination is the primary reproductive mechanism. Approximately two months after flowering, its fruit ripens and seeds are dispersed by ants. Sorocephalus crassifolius typically grows at elevations between 1,280 metres (4,200 ft) and 1,460 metres (4,790 ft).
Woolly Stalk Clusterhead · Woolly Clusterhead · Club Bearing Soranthe · Tile Leaf Clusterhead · Common Clusterhead · Mat Clusterhead · Long Leaf Clusterhead · Tulbagh Clusterhead · Diminutive Clusterhead · Pinhead Clusterhead · Powderpuffs
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Sorocephalus crassifolius by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
