Leucospermum (Pincushion, Pincushion Protea or Leucospermum)is a genus of about 50 species of flowering plants in the familyProteaceae, native to Zimbabwe and South Africa, where they occupy avariety of habitats, including scrub, forest, and mountain slopes.
Theyare evergreen shrubs (rarely small trees) growing to 0.5-5 m tall. Theleavesare spirally arranged, tough and leathery, simple, lineartolanceolate, 2-12 cm long and 0.5-3 cm broad, with a serrated marginorserrated at the leaf apex only. The flowers are produced in denseinflorescences, which have large numbers of prominent styles, whichinspires the name.
The genus is closely related in evolution and appearance to the Australian genus Banksia.