What Is The National Flower of South Africa ?
The King Protea is the national flowerof South Africa. Protea Cynaroidesis the scientific name of King Protea,whichcomes from proteaceae family. South Africa’s National Flower King Proteais commonly known as Giant Protea, Honey Potor King Sugar Bush. The national Flower of South Africa the Giant or King Protea is the biggest among the Proteas and that be a significant part of the Cape Floral Region, a Unesco World Heritage site and a major global biodiversity hotspot. The Greek God Proteus, who can appear in various forms as like this flower plant which depends on it morphology that the area where it grow.
For this reason it was named as “King Protea”. The South African’s national cricket team as known as the Proteas. Beside the King Protea, South Africa has some other popular native flowers like as; African lily. African Daisies (Felicia, Gerbera, Osteospermum and Artois) Phyllica Pubescence, Leucadendrons, Crocosmia, Chasmanthe and Ferraria Crispa.In 1976, the state body of South Africadesignated the King Protea as the national flower for South Africa as well as the countries National symbol.
Facts about South Africa’s National Flower (King Protea)
Common Name: Giant Protea, Honey Potor King Sugar Bush.
Genus: Protea
Species: Cynaroides.
Found in: Mainly in Southern Africa.
Color: Pink, red and creamyyellow
Number of petals: Many
Form of the tree: small branchy, bush
Time of blooming: Warm period of the year
Purpose: Ornamental and medicinal
Foliage: Evergreen
Being a potential member of protea family, South Africa’s national flower King Protea is woody shrub plant. Mostly it is South Africa’s originated flower. Its stems are thick and leaves are large in size with glossy green color. Usually the King Protea plants grow up to one meter in height but sometimes it may varies due to locality. It can reach up to 2 meters. The king protea flowers can also been be found in various sizes and it can be 120 mm to 300 mm in dia. Actually the King Protea flower is a composite flower heads with a collection of flowers in the center which surrounded by stiff, large, pointed and colorful bracts.
The bracts colors like Creamy white, deep crimson and silver sheen. The giant king protea plants can produce six to fourteen bowl shape flower heads, which contains many of small and tubular shape flowers. The South Africa’s national flower King Protea flower borne reproductive organs. There are plentiful white stamens filled in the inner part of the flower head that oriented to the center. During the warm period of the year the king proteas are blooming with a rich source of juices, which attracts honeybees, sugar birds, sun birds, rove beetles , scarab beetles and monkey beetles those are off course responsible for its pollination.
The king protea grows well in the poor soil, well-drained, exposed to direct sunlight, dry, hot summers and cold winters. Due to accelerating of agricultural development and urbanization the habitat of king protea has been alarmingly destructed. The suppression of wildfire and plantation of new types and species are also the big threat for wildly surviving of king proteas. The optimistic news is that being a very popular to the cultivators and gardeners the king protea now planted in gardens, nurseries and greenhouses.At least 81 varieties of king protea have been found. They are identified through the color of the flower and morphology of the leaves. The seed of king protea are nice meal for birds and mammals and leaves are used as tea.
To sum up, The King Protea continue as an essential part of the beautiful landscape and, many other things of beauty in South Africa. They have lots of significance and pragmatic benefits. That’s why the King Protea is become the national flowerand the national symbolof South Africa.