Paranomus

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Eudicots
Ordo: Proteales

Familia: Proteaceae
Subfamilia: Proteoideae
Tribus: Leucadendreae
Subtribus: Leucadendrinae
Genus: Paranomus
Species: P. abrotanifolius – P. reflexus – P. spicatus
Name

Paranomus Salisb.
References

USDA, ARS, Germplasm Resources Information Network. Paranomus in the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN), U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service. Accessed: 08-Apr-12.

Paranomus is a genus of 18 species of flowering plants, commonly known as "sceptres", in the protea family. It is endemic to the Cape Floristic Region of South Africa.

Distribution and habitat

The species occur mainly in mountainous areas of the Western and Eastern Cape provinces from the Cederberg to Uitenhage, with the highest numbers found in the districts of Caledon, Worcester and Swellendam. They are often associated with fynbos habitats.[1]
Etymology

The genus was named by English botanist Richard Anthony Salisbury from its unusual leaves, from the Greek para ("illegal" or "contrary"), and nomos ("custom" or "law"). It was subsequently renamed Nivenia by rival botanist Robert Brown to honour plant collector James Niven, but Salisbury's name has priority. They are commonly known as “sceptres” or “sceptre plants” for the shape of their inflorescences and after the first of the genus to be described, P. sceptrum-gustavianus – “King Gustav's sceptre”, in 1777.[1]
Description

All species are shrubs, though some can grow quite large; for example P. tomentosus may become, at up to 3 m high, a small tree. Like the closely related serrurias they have divided leaves, though a distinctive feature of the genus is that individual plants of some species can bear both normal leaves and ones that are only minimally or even undivided. Other strange features of the leaves are that they do not have distinct upper and lower surfaces and their venation is primitive. The flowerheads are spike-like inflorescences in which the flowers are grouped into fours, with each group of four carried beneath a leathery bract. The shell-like bracts remain on the plant for a year or longer, well after the seeds have dropped off.[1] The plants are not serotinous. They do not resprout after fires but regenerate from seeds which are shed soon after flowering.[2]
Species

Described species include:[3][4]

Paranomus abrotanifolius Salisb. ex Knight – Bredasdorp sceptre
Paranomus adiantifolius Salisb. ex Knight – Hairy-style sceptre
Paranomus bolusii (Gand.) Levyns – Overberg or Viking sceptre
Paranomus bracteolaris Salisb. ex Knight – Smooth-leaf tree sceptre
Paranomus candicans Kuntze – Powder sceptre
Paranomus capitatus Kuntze – Fine-leaf sceptre
Paranomus centaureoides Levyns – Ladismith sceptre
Paranomus dispersus Levyns – Long-head sceptre
Paranomus dregei Kuntze – Scented sceptre
Paranomus esterhuyseniae Levyns – Kouga sceptre
Paranomus lagopus Salisb. – Rabbit-paw sceptre
Paranomus longicaulis Salisb. ex Knight – Woolly sceptre or exploding baked apple
Paranomus reflexus N.E. Br. – Van Staden's sceptre
Paranomus roodebergensis (Compton) Levyns – Honey-scented sceptre
Paranomus sceptrum-gustavianus Hyl. – King Gustav's sceptre
Paranomus spathulatus Kuntze – Langeberg sceptre
Paranomus spicatus Kuntze – Kogelberg sceptre
Paranomus tomentosus N.E. Br. – Hairy-leaf sceptre

References

Notten, Alice (2010). "Paranomus". PlantZAfrica. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
Paterson-Jones, Colin (2007). Protea. Struik. pp. 46–47. ISBN 9781770075245.
"Paranomus". The Plant List. 2010. Retrieved 2013-05-18.
"Paranomus Salisb. 1807" (PDF). Protea Atlas Project. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved 2013-05-22.