J.G. in S.F.
Protea magnifica #1
Best viewed @ large size
Proteaceae - South Africa; Western Cape Province provenance of plant above
Queen Protea, Queen Sugarbush
Shown: Detail of inflorescence; inflorescence to 20 cm in diameter
"Protea...is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of South African flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: suikerbos).
"The genus Protea was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form at will, because proteas have such a wide variety of forms.
"The Proteaceae family to which proteas belong is an ancient one. Its ancestors grew in Gondwana, 300 million years ago. Proteaceae is divided into two subfamilies: the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa, and the Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America and the other smaller segments of Gondwana that are now part of eastern Asia. Africa shares only one genus with Madagascar, whereas South America and Australia share many common genera — this indicates they separated from Africa before they separated from each other." (Wikipedia)
My image of Protea cynaroides (King Protea):
www.flickr.com/photos/jim-sf/3433383548/
Photographed in U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley - Berkeley, California
Protea magnifica #1
Best viewed @ large size
Proteaceae - South Africa; Western Cape Province provenance of plant above
Queen Protea, Queen Sugarbush
Shown: Detail of inflorescence; inflorescence to 20 cm in diameter
"Protea...is both the botanical name and the English common name of a genus of South African flowering plants, sometimes also called sugarbushes (Afrikaans: suikerbos).
"The genus Protea was named in 1735 by Carl Linnaeus after the Greek god Proteus, who could change his form at will, because proteas have such a wide variety of forms.
"The Proteaceae family to which proteas belong is an ancient one. Its ancestors grew in Gondwana, 300 million years ago. Proteaceae is divided into two subfamilies: the Proteoideae, best represented in southern Africa, and the Grevilleoideae, concentrated in Australia and South America and the other smaller segments of Gondwana that are now part of eastern Asia. Africa shares only one genus with Madagascar, whereas South America and Australia share many common genera — this indicates they separated from Africa before they separated from each other." (Wikipedia)
My image of Protea cynaroides (King Protea):
www.flickr.com/photos/jim-sf/3433383548/
Photographed in U.C. Botanical Garden at Berkeley - Berkeley, California