Diastella thymelaeoides subsp. meridiana, the Hangklip 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 southern Kogelberg from Rooi-Els to Cape Hangklip as well as Betty's Bay.[2][3] The shrub grows erect and grows only 1.0 m tall and flowers throughout the year with a peak from August to November.

Diastella thymelaeoides subsp. meridiana
Conservation status
Near Threatened  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Order:	Proteales
Family:	Proteaceae
Genus:	Diastella
Species:	D. thymelaeoides
Subspecies:	D. t. subsp. meridiana
Trinomial name
Diastella thymelaeoides subsp. meridiana Rourke

Fire destroys the plant but the seeds survive.[4] 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 bees. The plant grows on sandstone slopes at heights of 0-150 m.

References