end in a sharp-to- somewhat-sharp pointed tip. The leaves are narrowed at their bases and are indistinctly veined. The upper surface is concave, and this forms a "particular strong channel on the back of its leaves" from which the specific epithet was adopted. It blooms in autumn and winter, from March to June, with the peak in May. The inflorescence is sessile, lacking a stalk. It is tall, and in diameter. There are nine series of bracts surrounding the flower head, the outer ones being ovate in shape, with a rounded apex, and are covered in silky hairs and have a fringe of hairs along their margins (ciliate). The inner bracts are more oblong and concave in shape, also ciliate, but with less silky hairs, with the innermost bracts glabrous and the length of the flowers. The plant is monoecious with both sexes in each flower. The fruits are woody and persistent, which means they are retained on the plant after senescence. Possible wildfires will destroy the mature plants, but the seeds will survive such an event, retained in caps in the dried inflorescence. When released after such fires, the seeds are dispersed by means of the wind. Distribution The plant is endemic to the central region of the Western Cape province of South Africa. It is found in the mountain ranges of the Little Karoo, where it occurs from the Hex River Mountains to the Waboomsberg and Groot Swartberge. It grows in the Ouberg Pass, Western Cape. The species usually occurs in low densities as scattered plants over a wide area, but occasionally it may be found growing clustered together in dense stands. Ecology Protea canaliculata grows in rocky, open, quartzite- or sandstone-derived soils at altitudes of 800 to 1,500 metres, or 700 to 1,700 metres. It is found growing in a montane fynbos habitat. Pollination was thought to probably occur by mediation of birds, but rodents and birds are both now considered to be implicated. Horticulture It was first grown in Europe in the first few years of the 19th century in the collection of the wealthy merchant George Hibbert, from seeds collected by James Niven at a valley called Lange Kloof in the Cape region. Conservation The world population of the species was considered not threatened in 1998. It was first assessed as 'least concern' by the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI) in 2009. According to