Protea mucronifolia J.Lee & J.Kenn. ex Salisb.

A small, erect, rounded shrub 50 cm-1 m in height, 50 cm-1 m in diam., with a single main stem 1-2 cm in diam. Stems glabrous, 3-5 mm in diameter. Leaves ascending, narrowly lanceolate 2-4 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, sessile; apex acuminate, terminating in a 2 mm long, straight, sharp spine; surface flat, but midrib prominent on undersurface; glabrous, glaucescent. Inflorescence campanulate at anthesis, the bracts opening through 900 to become completely patent at maturity, 2.5 cm long in bud, 5 cm in diam. when open. Involucral receptacle broadly convex, 5 mm in diam. Involucral bracts 4-5 seriate, lanceolate to narrowly lanceolate, acuminate, 2-2.5 cm long, 2-5 mm wide; scarious, ivory white flushed with pink, margins pink, or occasionally completely white. Perianth 2-2.2 cm long; the 3 fused segments broad at base tapering to filiform in the claw region, free segment filiform; tube absent; limbs 1 cm long, quadrangular, almost glabrous apart from a few scattered hairs, apices acuminate and densely crinite with short, minutely spiralled trichomes. Anthers 4, subsessile. Style straight at maturity, 1.5-1.7 mm long, bulbously swollen at base, tapering terminally. Pollen presenter filiform, simple, 4 mm long. Ovary obconic, 2 mm long beset with long straight, white trichomes. Hypogynous scales 0.3 mm long, hyaline, ovate. Flowering commences in late October, reaches a peak in November and December with a few flower-heads persisting until late January.