Leucospermum formosum (Andrews) Knight ex Sweet

A large erect shrub to 3.0 m in height, with a single main stem at base. Flowering stems erect, to 8.0 mm in diam., covered with a short, dense indumentum of fine crisped hairs interspersed with long erect trichomes 5.0-7.0 mm long. Leaves lanceolate elliptic, 6.5-0.0 cm long, 1.4-2.0 cm wide, sessile to subsessile, loosely ascending imbricate, softly velutinous in texture, covered with a dense grey indumentum of fine crisped hairs; apex sharply trifid, rarely entire. Inflorescences turbinate to depressed discoid, 5.0 cm in diam.; pedunculate, peduncle 1.0-2.0 cm long; usually solitary, rarely in groups of 2 or 3. On opening, the styles elongate rapidly and curve abaxially as the inflorescence develops. Involucral receptacle narrowly conic acute, 5.0-5.5 cm long, 1.0-1.5 cm broad. Involucral bracts ovate acute, 1.0-1.5 cm long, 0.7 cm wide, tightly adpressed imbricate, thin and papyraceous in texture, outer surface puberulous, soon glabrescent; margins ciliate. Bracteoles lanceolate acute to acuminate; cymbiform, margins involute; 2.0 cm long, 0.8-1.0 cm wide, thickly lanate proximally, margins ciliate, apex crinite. Perianth 5.0 cm long, golden yellow. Perianth tube 1.0 cm long, slightly laterally compressed, glabrous proximally, puberulous distally. Perianth claws filiform, but broadening proximally; becoming tightly coiled on opening; beset with long spreading trichomes on outer surface. Perianth limbs very narrowly lanceolate acuminate, 7.0 mm long, 1.0 mm wide, outer surface beset with long, erect trichomes; apex minutely crinite, Style 7.0-8.0 cm long, elongating rapidly, tapering and twisting clockwise subterminally, pale yellow becoming amber flushed with bronze. Pollen presenter narrowly cylindric acute, 0.7 cm long, slightly geniculate, curved clockwise almost at right angles to style; white, aging to pink; stigmatic groove terminal. Hypogynous scales subulate 3.0 mm long. Flowering takes place from September to October.