Leucospermum royenifolium is an evergreen, spreading or somewhat upturning shrub of up to ½ m (1⅔ ft) high and 1–3 m (3–10 ft) in diameter from the family Proteaceae. It has patent elliptic, eventually hairless leaves. The flower heads are globe-shaped, 1–2 cm (0.4–0.8 in) in diameter, and contain initially whitish, later pinkish, sweetly scented flowers. From the center of the flowers emerge almost straight styles that jointly give the impression of a pincushion. It is called eastern pincushion in English. It can be found flowering between July and December. It occurs in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa.
Description
Leucospermum royenifolium is a spreading, somewhat upright to creeping shrub of about ½ m (1⅔ ft) high, that may form a dense mat of 1–3 m (3–10 ft) in diameter. Its main, horizontal branches are woody near the base and covered in a layer of bark of 3–5 mm (0.12–0.20 in) thick. The flowering stems also are somewhat upright to creeping, 2–3 mm (0.08-0.12 in) in cross section, initially powdery hairy but later hairless. The leaves are spreading at about 45° relative to the branches, elliptic in shape, 1½–2¼ cm (0.6–0.9 in) long and 4–6 mm (0.16–0.24 in) wide, narrowing to a point at its base, and with a pointy tip, an entire margin or very rarely with two or three teeth, with a surface that may initially be powdery hairy, but this indumentum is quickly lost.
The flower heads are globe-shaped, 1−2 cm (0.4−0.8 in) in diameter, seated or on a short stalk of up to 1 cm (0.4 in) long. These are sometimes set individually, mostly grouped with three to five, but on new vigorous shoots with twenty to forty can occupy the highest leaf axils. The common base of the flowers in the same head is broadly cone-shaped, about 5 mm (0.20 in) long and 4 mm (0.16 in) wide. The bracts that subtend the head are oval in shape with a pointy tip, about 5 mm long and 3 mm (0.12 in) wide, cartilaginous in consistency, covered in a dense mat of soft woolly hairs (tomentose). The tips of the highest whorl of bracts are somewhat pointed and curved down.
The 4-merous perianth is 1–1½ cm (0.4-0.6 in) long, pale cream to ivory at first but later turning deep pink, straight when still in the bud, somewhat compressed sideways, covered in a mat of short woolly hairs. The lower part with the lobes fused (called tube) is about 4 mm (0.16 in) long, powdery higher up, but hairless and narrower at base. The middle part where all four lobes become free when the flower opens (called claws), are about 1 cm (0.4 in) long, initially cream and greenish, later becoming pale carmine, individually curl back to its base when the flowers open. The higher part of the lobes (called limbs) is lance-shaped with a pointy tip, about 1½ mm (0.06 in) long, and set on the outside with upright, stiff hairs. The style is 13–16 mm (0.52–0.64 in) long, tapering towards it tip, initially pale greenish cream but turning to pinkish carmine. The slightly thickened tip called pollen presenter is cylinder-shaped with a blunt tip, with the groove that functions as the stigma and about 1 mm (0.04 in) long. Subtending the ovary are four opaque, thread-shaped scales of about 2 mm (0.08 in) long. The fruit is ellipsoid, whitish in colour, about 7 mm (0.28 in) long, somewhat pointy and lacking a beak.
The flowers of Leucospermum royenifolium are sweetly scented.
Differences with related species
L. royenifolium differs from its closest relatives by its spreading habit and the later hairless and patent leaves. One hybrid swarm is known between this species and L. wittebergense where any combination of the differing characters can be found.