that he included in the section Diastelloidea. The name of the genus Leucospermum is compounded from the Greek words λευκός (leukos) meaning white, and σπέρμα (sperma) meaning seed, so "white seed", which is a reference to the pale elaiosome surrounding the seeds. Species within the genus are commonly known as pincushions. Phylogeny Comparison of homologous DNA has increased the insight in the phylogenetic relationships between the Proteaceae. Leucospermum belongs to a group that further only consists of genera endemic to the Cape Floristic Region, that together constitute the subtribe Leucadendrinae. Leucospermum is most related to Mimetes, which however is only monophyletic if both Diastella and Orothamnus would be included in it. A subgroup of Paranomus, Vexatorella, Sorocephalus and Spatalla is the sister group to the Leucospermum-Mimetes subgroup. The following tree represents those insights. Subdivision The genus Leucospermum is divided into nine groups called sections. These are Brevifilamentum, Cardinistyle, Conocarpodendron, Crassicaudex, Crinitae (synonym Diastella Meisn. non (Salisb.) Endl.), Diastelloidea, Hamatum, Leucospermum (synonym Hypophylloidea) and Timiditubus. The following taxa are assigned to the respective sections. Brevifilamentum: L. vestitum (type), L. cordatum, L. cordifolium, L. lineare, L. patersonii, L. tottum Cardinistyle: L. formosum (type), L. catherinae, L. grandiflorum, L. gueinzii, L. praemorsum, L. reflexum Conocarpodendron: L. conocarpodendron (type), L. glabrum, L. pluridens Crassicaudex: L. cuneiforme (type), L. gerrardii, L. innovans, L. saxosum Crinitae: L. oleifolium (type), L. gracile, L. mundii, L. saxatile Diastelloidea: L. calligerum (type), L. bolusii, L. heterophyllum, L. pedunculatum, L. prostratum, L. royenifolium, L. secundifolium, L. truncatulum, L. winteri, L. wittebergense Hamatum: L. hamatum (type), L. harpagonatum Leucospermum: L. hypophyllocarpodendron (type), L. arenarium, L. parile, L. rodolentum, L. tomentosum Tumiditubus: L. praecox (type), L. erubescens, L. fulgens, L. muirii, L. profugum, L. spathulatum, L. truncatum, L. utriculosum Putative hybrids In the field, sometimes few specimens are observed that are suspected to be interspecific hybrids, with characters that are intermediate between two clearly separate species. Wherever hybrids are observed in the wild, their origin is mostly quite clear because plants of the parent species grow nearby. The low number of such intermediate plants, suggests these hybrids are infertile. The following putative hybrids have been observed in gardens and in the field. L. hypophyllocarpodendron x L. pedunculatum L. hypophyllocarpodendron x L. calligerum L. mundii x L. calligerum L. truncatulum x L. prostratum L. truncatulum x L. gracile L. reflexum x L. catherinae L. conocarpodendron x L. cordifolium Rourke suggested that L. tottum