Adenanthos cygnorum, commonly known as common woollybush or just woollybush, is a tall shrub in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to Western Australia, commonly occurring in the south west of the State from north of Geraldton south to Kojonup. It is very common on road verges and in disturbed areas of Perth.
Description
Common woollybush grows as a tall shrub up to three metres high. It has soft grey-green or grey-blue foliage, consisting of closely packed, small, hairy leaves on pliable, hairy stems. It is woolly both in appearance and feel, hence the common name. The leaves have nectaries at the tips; these attract ants, which play a role in the distribution of seed. The nectar-filled cups are taken by the ants to their nests to be consumed, the seeds becoming inaccessible to birds, etc. Like most other Adenanthos species, but unusually for Proteaceae, the flowers of common woollybush are not large and showy, but are rather small, dull, and hidden within the foliage.
The stems of the plant are bored into by moths, leaving their eggs there; the larvae are in turn used by female wasps for their own eggs.
Powell, Robert (1990). Leaf and Branch: Trees and Tall Shrubs of Perth. Perth, Western Australia: Department of Conservation and Land Management. ISBN0-7309-3916-2.
