Protea canaliculata Andrews

An erect, rounded shrub to 1 ,2 m tall and 1 m in diam., with a single main stem but profusely branched from near ground level. Stems 2-5 mm in diam., puberulous at first eventually becoming glabrous. Leaves acicula-linear to linear-spathulate, 45-80 mm long, 2-7 mm wide, channelled on undersurface, deep green to glaucous, softly puberulous at first, glabrescent to glabrous later, apices uncinate with a sharp black spine. Inflorescence 35-60 mm in diam., shallowly crateriform on opening. Involucral receptacle broadly conic-depressed, 10-15 mm wide, 5-10 mm high. Involucral bracts 4-5 seriate; outer series very tightly adpressed imbricate, broadly ovate acute 10 mm long by 10 mm wide, puberulous; inner series strongly incurved, broadly oblong, 20-30 mm long, 7-14 mm wide, apices rounded, outer surface glabrous to sericeous, if sericeous then margins always glabrous. Perianth 20-25 mm long, strongly adaxially arcuate; tube region 10 mm long, glabrous externally and internally, the lip margin infolding; claws narrowing abruptly, glabrous; limbs linear-acute, set at an angle to the claws, 8 mm long, sparsely puberulous proximally with white crisped hairs but setose towards the crinite apex with short tawny trichomes. Anthers 4 sessile, 4-5 mm long. Style strongly adaxially arcuate, 20-30 mm long tapering terminally. Pollen presenter linear, scarcely differentiated from style, 4 mm long. Ovary obconic, 3 mm long, covered with 8-10 mm long, pale tawny trichomes. Hypogynous scales 2 mm long, oval. The autumn flowering habit of P. canaliculata is therefore all the more surprising. Flowering takes place from late March until June with May being the peak of the season.