Breede River Pincushion

Leucospermum utriculosum is an upright or spreading shrub of 1–2 m (3–6½ ft) high and 2–3 m (6½–10 ft) across, with an informal habit. Its branches grow out at an angle up to the horizontal and often droop to the ground. It grows from a stout single main stem that branches low down, and is covered in a smooth, grey bark. The flowering stems are about 3½ mm (0.14 in) thick, and covered in fine crisped hairs and long, straight, silky hairs. The hairless leaves are inverted lance-shaped with a wedge-shaped base narrowing to a stalk, the tip cut-off, with three to five stout teeth of 4½–7 cm (1.8–2.8 in) long and 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) wide. The more or less flattened globe-shaped flowerheads of 5–8 cm (2.0–3.2 in) in diameter have a stalk of about 1 cm (0.4 in) long, are usual set individually but sometimes grouped in twos or threes. The common base of the flowers in the same head is broadly cone-shaped, about 1 cm (0.4 in) long and approximately ¾ cm across. …

The Breederiver pincushion can be primarily found in the area of McGregor, Robertson and Stormsvlei, and along the north slopes of the Potberg, all the way to the mouth of the Breede River. L. utriculosum exclusively grows on north facing, dry and very rocky slopes at 60–600 m (200–2000 ft) elevation. Along its distribution range, average annual precipitation is 250–380 mm (10–15 in), most of which falls during the winter half year. The soil it grows on is weathered Table Mountain Sandstone/Quartzite in the southeast and either Table Mountain Sandstone or Witteberg Quartzite to the northwest. The species may form quite dense stands locally. Some of the locations have such sparse vegetation that fire is not sustained, and many old plants can be found, their main stems tightly wedged in the crevices between the rocks.