Protea rupestris R.E.Fr.

Tree up to 10 m. high with a well-developed trunk.. Young branches grey and glabrous, later flaking off to reveal a brown cortex.. Leaves linear-oblanceolate to linear, sometimes falcate, (7-)12-19 × (l-)1.3-2.7(-3.3) cm., (4-)5.5-12 times as long as broad, long-cuneate to slightly rounded at the base, acute to rounded at the apex, sometimes appressed pubescent when very young, glabrous when mature, usually glaucous.. Heads 12-16(-18) cm. in diameter including bracts, which are strongly deflexed in flower.. Middle bracts (2.5-)3-4 × 1.4-2.2 cm., obtuse to rounded; inner bracts linear-oblong to spathulate, (5-)6-9 × 0.7-1.5 cm., exceeding the flowers; all bracts bright pink to crimson-red for most of their length, sometimes densely appressed pubescent at the base.. Flowers white, sometimes pinkish on perianth-tip or style, 5-6 cm. long.. Perianth-base and claw glabrous or with short woolly hairs at the junction between them inside; limb (17-)20-31 mm., villous on the 3 fused segments but sometimes glabrescent except at the tip, glabrous on the fourth segment except at the upper and lower ends.. Style glabrous.. Receptacle acutely conical, 2-3 cm. long.. Fig. 3, p. 18.