Protea neriifolia

A4 Sketch Paper

Pencil crayon and B pencil

When I think of Cape Town I think of the mountain, and the proteas in full bloom on it’s slopes…  Protea neriifolia was first discovered in 1597, was illustrated in 1605, and has the distinction of being the first protea ever to be mentioned in botanical literature.  The ‘flowers’ of this Protea are actually flower heads with a collection of flowers in the centre, surrounded by large colourful pink bracts. The flowers are pollinated by scarab beetles, protea beetles and many other insects, as well as by birds. The birds are attracted by both the nectar and the insects visiting the flowers. It grows in fire prone vegetation from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth. The Protea neriifolia is specifically adapted to survive the fires by keeping its seeds safely in the old seedheads, which will only be stimulated to open and release the seeds when the plant dies or is killed by fire. These natural fires occur mainly in late summer or autumn and are followed by the first winter rains, which provide the moisture the young seedlings need to grow to a size at which they can survive the long, hot summer.

Protea neriifolia close-up #1

Protea neriifolia close-up #2

Protea neriifolia close-up #3