Angiosperms (Flowering Plants) • Earth.com

Silver tree

(Leucadendron argenteum)

galery
en

Description

Leucadendron argenteum (silver tree, silver leaf tree, Afrikaans: Witteboom, or Afrikaans: Silwerboom) is an endangered plant species in the family Proteaceae, which is endemic to a small area of the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Most grow in and around the city of Cape Town, but outlying (perhaps introduced) populations exist near Somerset West (Silwerboomkloof), Paarl and Stellenbosch. It is a protected tree in South Africa. The silvertree is a striking evergreen tree, growing 5–7 m tall (sometimes up to 16 m). It is erect and well-proportioned with a thick, straight trunk and grey bark. The soft, silky leaves are shiny silver, lanceolate, 8–15 cm long and 2 cm broad, with their distinct silvery sheen produced by dense velvety hairs. The wind-pollinated flowers are produced in dense globose inflorescences 4–5 cm diameter, and give off a pleasant scent. Like all Leucadendrons, this tree is dioecious, with separate male and female plants. The fruit is a heavy woody cone, containing numerous seeds; each seed is a small nut with a silky-haired helicopter-like parachute, enabling it to disperse by wind. After germination it pushes up two green, bare and leathery cotyledons. This enormous silver Protea is naturally confined to a tiny area in and around the city of Cape Town. Its main population grows on the slopes of Table Mountain, notably the Lion's Head area, above Rhodes Memorial and the mountain slopes above Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden. In addition there are three tiny outlying populations nearby, in Stellenbosch, Somerset West and Paarl (It has not yet been established for certain whether these are natural outliers, or were planted here in early Cape history). The Somerset West population is located within a natural heritage site called Silvertree Gorge, in the Spanish Farm suburb. Historically, the silvertree was more widespread on Table Mountain, covering much of its slopes in shimmering silver forests. However, early demand for timber led to much of these forests being felled and now the silvertree is a rare and endangered species. In the face of urban development, inappropriate fire management, and invasive alien trees such as pines and gums, silvertrees have been driven from about 74% of their natural range.Mortality of these short-lived trees is negligible after a burn, but then increases to about 5% per annum.

Taxonomic tree:

Domain:
Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum:
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order:Proteales
Family:Proteaceae
Genus:Leucadendron
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