Protea inopina Rourke

Low, multiple-stemmed shrub 0.5 to 1 m in height, the stems arising from a woody subterranean rootstock. Stems erect, glabrous, 10-12 mm in diam., simple to occasionally branched, more usually simple. Leaves elliptic to broadly oblanceolate, 120-180 mm long, 25-50 mm wide, glabrous, glaucous, cartilaginous to coriaceous in texture, sessile, but frequently twisted in petiolar region. Inflorescence globose to spherical in bud, becoming elongate before anthesis with the perianths projecting 30-50 mm beyond the involucral bracts prior to anthesis, becoming ovoid when fully open, 100-120 mm in diam.; substipitate to stipitate, stipe to 30 mm long. Involucral receptacle prominent, conic-acute, 40-45 mm wide, 20-30 mm high. Involucral bracts 5-7 seriate, covered with a densely velutinous ferruginous indumentum in bud stage; outer series ovate-acute, tightly imbricate, 10-15 mm wide, 10-20 mm long, covered with a densely velutinous ferruginous indumentum; inner series broadly ovate to ovate-oblong, obtuse, 15-25 mm wide, 20-25 mm long, with a ferruginous indumentum towards apex and midrib, otherwise glabrescent, pale green. Perianth 80-90 mm long, tube 10 mm long, prominently ridged, glabrous but minutely puberulous along inner margin of tube lip; claws slender, glabrous; limbs stout, 30 mm long with a densely tomentose to lanate white indumentum except on the adaxial limb, apices incurved, very acuminate, densely lanate. Anthers 4, linear, subsessile, 20 mm long, apical boss green, saggitate. Style 80-90 mm long, adaxially arcuate, glabrous, tapering terminally. Pollen presenter 15-20 mm long, slender, linear, not clearly differentiated from style. Ovary obovoid, 3-5 mm long, covered with a small tuft of straight, tawny trichomes. Hypogynous scales 1.5 mm long, narrowly and obliquely ovate. Fruits large, ovoid, 10-12 mm long, 6-7 mm wide, nut-like.