Paranomus dregei
Introduction
A splendid shrub, with scented flowers that attract many insects, and very much catches the eye with its reddish involucral bracts, creamy flowers and light greyish leaves.
Description
Description
Paranomus dregei is an evergreen, branched shrub that grows 0.6 to 1.7 m high, branching out from a single stem. The plant has both dissected and entire, flat leaves up to 50 mm long, hairless, variable in shape, with rounded reddish tips. The leaves towards the base of the plants are likely to be dissected, with one or more lobes, and the leaves below the inflorescence are entire.
The globose flowerhead is about 25–50 mm long and 20–25 mm in diameter, sometimes many are produced on one branch, in dense or lax spikes. The flowerheads in bud are enclosed by involucral bracts that are light green to reddish on the tips and become darker red as they mature. The stalks are 0–20 mm long, clasped by the upper leaves. It produces approximately 12–66 flowers per inflorescence, of which each flowerhead contains 4 individual flowers. The perianth is 14 mm long, cream-coloured, covered with hairs with reddish pink involucral bracts at the base. When open, the perianth splits into 4 similar segments and releases the hairless style with its 2 mm long pollen presenter at the tip. The perianth becomes papery with age. The fruit is a smooth nut, hairy around the base, and is released 2 months after flowering.
Conservation Status
Status
Paranomus dregei is assessed Least Concern (LC) on the Red List of South African plants. However, too frequent fire, that does not allow the plants sufficient time to produce and store enough seeds between fires, could lead to local extinction of the Outeniqua Mountain subpopulation. The spread of alien invasive plants is also a threat to this subpopulation, as they compete with the species. The species is stable and not threatened in other populations.
Distribution and habitat
Distribution description
Paranomus dregei grows naturally in dry, mountain sandstone fynbos, on the Outeniqua Mountains, Witteberg to Anysberg and Swartberg, Touwsberg, Warmwaterberg, and Rooiberg and Kouga Mountains. The plants are found growing in scattered, extensive populations, on sandstone, usually at 900–1400 m altitude.
Derivation of name and historical aspects
History
Paranomus is one of 14 genera of the Proteaceae; it comprises of 18 species. The genus name was given by Richard Salisbury in 1809. He published his work on the Proteaceae soon after the meeting of the Linnaean Society on 7 January 1809, where Robert Brown delivered his pre-publication on Proteaceae. Robert Brown published his work in 1810 and gave this genus the name Nivenia to honour David James Niven (1774–1826), a Scottish plant collector who sent material for description to England. The botanists of the day accused Salisbury of plagiarising Brown’s work and ignored Salisbury’s publication. Thus this genus was known by Brown’s name, Nivenia, until the 1930s, when the rules of botanical nomenclature were enforced and Salisbury’s work was recognized and his genus name restored. Further, the genus Nivenia had also been assigned to a group of irids in 1808, making Brown’s name doubly invalid.
The name Paranomus means ‘illegal’ or ‘beside the custom’ and refers to its out of the ordinary leaves. The species name dregei, was given to commemorate J.F. Drege (1794-1881) who was a German horticulturist and plant collector in southern Africa.
Ecology
Ecology
Paranomus dregei is killed by fire and reproduces by seeds that are stored in the ground (reseeder). The seeds are smooth nuts, entirely covered with an elaiosome, which the ants feed on. The seeds are carried by ants to their nests underground, the ants eat the elaiosome and leave the seed undamaged in their nest, where it is protected from fire and other animals. These ants do not harm the seeds. This process is called seed dispersal. However, rodents, korhaans, pigs and squirrels eat the seeds. Alien invasive Argentine Ants also feed on the elaiosome, but they don’t bury the seeds in their nest and the exposed seeds are left to be eaten by rodents and doves, or are burned by fire.
The hard seed coat restricts the penetration of oxygen to the embryo. This delays the germination of the seed. The seeds underground will germinate when senescent plants are removed by fire, and the soil temperature is cool during the night and warm during the day. This is typical of autumn conditions, just prior to the onset of the winter rains. Rodents and insects may eat the seedlings that emerge in a burnt environment free of competition from other plants.
Paranomus dregei flowers are pollinated by insects, which are attracted by the sweet-scent and cream coloured perianth. Butterflies and bees are seen visiting the flowers at Kirstenbosch NBG.
The leaves of Paranomus are sclerophyllous (hard and leathery), as are those of other proteas. Paranomus dregei leaves are also dissected (divided) and its function is to increase the surface area of the leaf, while saving water by preventing overheating; thus increasing the surface area of the leaf without preventing the sun from reaching the lower leaves; to make it difficult for diseases to spread on the leaves; and to prevent insects and animals from taking large mouthfuls of the leaves.
Uses
Use
Paranomus dregei can be planted in small or large gardens, and is ideal for a fynbos garden, or butterfly or fragrant garden, planted with companion fynbos plants. Its greyish foliage can also be used in a greyish combination theme garden with Podalyria sericea, Syncarpha argyropsis, Brunia spp. and Leucadendron argenteum. This species has potential to make a good pot plant, and can be used in landscaping, specifically in fynbos and Mediterranean climate gardens.
Growing Paranomus dregei
Grow
Paranomus dregei is propagated both by seed and cuttings. To collect the seeds, cover the flowerheads with fine netting after all flowers have finished flowering, to prevent the seeds from dropping to the ground or being eaten by rodents. Remove the bags of seeds without damaging the new shoots. Put the seeds in water and remove the seeds that float, as they are immature or without an embryo. The seeds are hard and covered with an elaiosome. Soak the seed in a 1% solution of hydrogen peroxide for 24 hours to soften the seed coat. Remove the elaiosome by rubbing on them in the bags between fingers.
To prevent the fungal infections, treat the seed with fungicide before sowing and once a week after planting. The seeds are sown in late summer to autumn (March to May) using a well-aerated growing medium. Treat the seeds with the smoke of burning dry and green fynbos plant material by placing the seed trays in a smoking tent, or use smoke packets to treat the seed. The sowed seeds should not be allowed to dry out, but keep the soil moist to allow germination to occur. The seedlings are ready for potting-up after the first pair of true leaves have developed.
Rooting cuttings of Paranomus dregei is difficult. Select the semi-hardwood growth that is flexible, in autumn and spring, and treat with a rooting hormone to stimulate rooting. Place your cuttings in a well-drained and aerated sowing medium of 70% perlite and 30% fine-milled bark. Insert the cuttings in the multitrays with sufficient space between each cutting to allow air circulation and place them on heated benches of 25°C, under intermittent mist. Regularly treat the cuttings with a fungicide to prevent fungal infection. Remove the dead leaves and wilting cuttings until your cuttings are rooted.
Move the rooted cuttings to the hardening-off house for about 2 weeks and transplant the cuttings into small nursery plastic bags, using the fynbos soil mixture of well-drained, acidic medium. Place the seedlings or cuttings under the shade net in the nursery until they are ready to be planted into the garden, after a period of 2 to 3 years. Plant the seedlings in acidic soil, preferably between 5–7 pH levels.
Mulch the garden about 5 mm thick to keep the soil moist, the roots cool, keep moisture to the soil and reduce the growth of weeds during the hot dry season. Chipping mulch is recommended, as they break down very slowly and also releases small amounts of nutrients to the plant. Seedings can be pinched to encourage branching out on the second year and onwards, but do not need much pruning.
References
- Duncan, G., Brown, N. & Nurrish, L. 2013. Grow proteas. Kirstenbosch Gardening Series. South African National Biodiversity Institute, Cape Town.
- Nndanduleni, M. 2018. Paranomus longicaulis Salisb. Ex Knight. (Proteaceae). PlantZAfrica. Online. http://pza.sanbi.org/paranomus-longicaulis
- Rebelo, A.G. 2000. Proteas of the Cape Peninsula. Protea Atlas Project. National Botanical Institute, Cape Town.
- Rebelo, A.G. 2001. Proteas. A field guide to the proteas of southern Africa. Fernwood Press, Vlaeberg, Cape Town.
- Rebelo, A.G., Mtshali, H. & von Staden, L. 2019. Paranomus dregei (H.Buek ex Meisn.) Kuntze. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2020.1. Accessed on 2021/05/21
- Vogts, M. 1982. South Africa's Proteaceae: know them and grow them. Struik, Cape Town.
- Wikipedia. Parfuumsepter (Paranomus dregei). https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parfuumsepter Accessed 08/06/2021
- Xaba, P. 2010. Begonia dregei Otto & A. Dietr. (Begoniaceae). PlantZAfrica. Online. http://pza.sanbi.org/begonia-dregei
Credits
Mashudu Nndanduleni
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
June 2021
Plant Attributes:
Plant Type: Shrub
SA Distribution: Western Cape
Soil type: Sandy
Flowering season: Spring, Winter
PH: Acid
Flower colour: Pink, Cream
Aspect: Full Sun
Gardening skill: Average
Special Features:
Attracts butterflies
Drought resistant
Fragrant
Good potplant
Feeds honeybees
Horticultural zones
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