About Leucadendron platyspermum R.Br.
This species is commonly called the plate-seed conebush, and is known as Kraaltolbos in Afrikaans. It is a shrub that reaches 1.7 m (5.6 ft) in height, and flowers in December. After a fire kills the entire mature plant, its seeds survive to germinate for the next generation. Seeds are stored in a cone-shaped structure (tol) on female plants, and only released to fall to the ground after the first autumn rain following a fire. The winged seeds are dispersed by wind. Leucadendron platyspermum is unisexual, meaning individual plants produce only male or only female flowers, and wind carries pollen between plants for pollination. It grows primarily in sandy and shale soils, at altitudes ranging from 0 to 1,350 m (0 to 4,429 ft).
