About Protea glabra Thunb.
This shrub, Protea glabra Thunb., grows up to 5 meters tall and forms a conical shape. It flowers from July through November. The species is monoecious, with both male and female reproductive structures present in each individual flower. Protea glabra is endemic to South Africa, where it occurs in the Western Cape province, ranging from the Bokkeveld escarpment down to the Olifants River and extending into the Koue Bokkeveld Mountains. Within this native range, it is a widespread and common species that faces no severe threats. Pollination of this plant is carried out by birds and beetles. Its seeds are not stored within the plant’s woody fruit; instead, seeds are dispersed by wind immediately once they ripen. Protea glabra grows in shallow sandstone soils or within rock cracks, at altitudes between 500 and 1,500 meters. It is a long-lived species that can resprout from a thick bole-shaped rootstock after wildfire burning, though it typically grows in areas that have a low risk of wildfires.
