Family Proteaceae > Subfamily Proteoideae > Tribe Proteeae.
Plants of the World Online (Kew) accepts 107 species of Proteas mainly from Africa.
Proteaceae is divided into two subfamilies:
- the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa,
- Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America with some from eastern Asia.
Proteas are woody plants that can be prostrate, shrubs or small trees to 10 m.
Leaves are mostly alternately arranged in a spiral.
There are some species with opposite or whorled leaves.
Leaves almost always have a short or no petiole but occasionally there is a long one.
When simple (undivided) they can be almost circular in cross section or linear (long, narrow and flat).
When divided they can be pinnate and divided once, twice or more times.
They can also be palmate with lobes attached to one point.
Plants may be heterophyllous with both simple and compound leaves.
This is often seen in young plants.
Fleshy or tough blades can be smooth or hairy with a smooth or toothed edge.
Inflorescences can be terminal, axillary or between these (intercalary).
Intercalary ones may start between the nodes.
They can also be terminal and become intercalary due to the growth patterns in the stem.
They can be a raceme, spike or umbel but most commonly are a head.
The frequently inverted cone-shaped (obconical) heads are often around 15 cm across but can be twice that.
Heads have densely packed flowers on a flat, concave or conical receptacle.
The receptacle is a woody upward extension of the stem.
Flowers in the head are surrounded by series of bracts that form an involucre.
The smooth or hairy bracts are sometimes longer than the flowers.
Spirally arranged they overlap with the smallest at the base.
They can be green or coloured and often have hairs, especially at the tips.
The often pink to red florets can be up to around 15 cm long.
Most are bisexual.
Small scales or glands outside the stamens can be intepreted as the corolla or nectary.
The perianth segments, called tepals or sepals are petal-like.
The 4 (8) segments may all be free or fused or 3 fused and 1 free.
The reproductive structures may be on a stalk (an androphore, gynophore or an androgynophore).
The 4 stamens may be free of the tepals or fused to them.
Often the filaments are totally fused to the tepals with the anthers free.
The roughly basifixed anthers open inwards through long slits.
They may have an appendage at the tip.
There may also be 3 stamens and 1 infertile staminode.
The superior ovary, of 1 carpel is partially protected by the receptacle.
It has one to many ovules.
The style can be smooth or have hairs at the base.
It has a linear pollen presenter along the end and a small apical stigma.
Fruit are variable and can be an achene, follicle or drupe-like.
The seeds are sometimes winged.
J.F.
