Protea glabra, also called the Clanwilliam sugarbush,[1] [2] [3] is a flowering shrub belonging to the genus Protea.[3]
Other vernacular names for this plant are chestnut sugarbush, Clanwilliam protea or kayang bush. In Afrikaans it is known as the kaiingbos, kaiing-suikerbos, kaiinghout, kayangbos, kreupelwaboom or tolletjiewaboom.[1]
The tree's national number is 89.1.[4]
The bush grows up to 5m high and has a conical shape. It blooms from July to November. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower.[3]
Pollination occurs through the action of birds[1] [3] and beetles.[3] The seed is not stored in the woody fruit and is spread by the wind as soon as it is ripe.[1] [3] The plant grows in shallow sandstone soils or cracks in rock at altitudes of 500 - 1,500m.[3] It is long-lived and can re-sprout after burning from a bole-shaped rootstock, although it normally grows in areas where there is low risk of wildfires.[1] [3]
This species is endemic to South Africa.[1] The plant is found in the Western Cape, on the Bokkeveld escarpment up to the Olifants River and the Koue Bokkeveld Mountains.[3] Here, it is a widespread and common species with no severe threats.[1]