Diastella parilis, the Worcester silkypuff, is a flower-bearing shrub that belongs to the genus Diastella and forms part of the fynbos. The plant is native to the Western Cape and occurs in the Breede River Valley from the Elandskloof to the Slanghoek Mountains. The shrub is erect and grows 70 cm tall and bears flowers from July to January.

Diastella parilis
Conservation status
Critically Endangered  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Diastella
Species:	D. parilis
Binomial name
Diastella parilis Salisb. ex Knight

Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive. Two months after flowering, the fruit falls off and ants disperse the seeds. They store the seeds in their nests. The plant is unisexual. Pollination takes place through the action of insects. The plant grows on the foothills in sandstone soil at heights of 250–500 m.

References

• "Threatened Species Programme | SANBI Red List of South African Plants". redlist.sanbi.org. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
• "Northern Silkypuffs". proteaatlas.org.za. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
• "Diastella parilis | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 6 January 2022.
• "Diastella parilis". biodiversityexplorer.info. Retrieved 6 January 2022.

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