Protea scolymocephala Reichard

Small, erect, rounded, well-branched shrub 0.5-1.5 m in height, with a single main stem to 15 mm in diam. Stems glabrous, 1-2 mm in diam. Leaves loosely ascending, linear-spathulate, 35-90 mm long, 3-6 mm wide, glabrous, tapering in petiolar region, apices acuminate. Inflorescences globose in bud, the bracts expanding to become flattened or very slightly reflexed on opening, with the floral parts raised and apparently everted; 35-45 mm in diam. Involucral receptacle conic, 5-10 mm wide, 5 mm high. Involucral bracts 4 seriate, glabrous except for ciliate margins; outer series loosely imbricate, 5-8 mm wide, 6-8 mm long; inner series oval to oblong-spathulate, widely splayed and reflexing on opening, 15-25 mm long, 3-7 mm wide, apices rounded, concave. Perianth 15-22 mm long, adaxially curved; tube inflated, ridged, 6-8 mm long, glabrous; claws deflected adaxially, glabrous but occasionally setose distally; limbs linear-lanceolate, 4-6 mm long, usually glabrous but occasionally sparsely setose. Anthers subsessile 3-4 mm long. Style very strongly adaxially arcuate, 12-25 mm long, tapering distally. Pollen presenter 2 mm long, linear, slightly geniculate at junction with style. Ovary obconic, 2 mm long, covered with 8 mm long whitish to pale golden trichomes. Hypogynous scales subulate, 0.5 mm long. Flowering takes place from July until November, with the peak of the season being reached in August and September, when the shrubs are liberally covered with creamy-green flower-heads.