Protea susannae E.Phillips

Erect robust shrub to 2-3 m in height, 3-4 m in diam., with an upright but laxly branched growth habit and a single main trunk to 150 mm in diam. Stems 5-10 mm in diam., densely puberulous at first, later glabrescent. Leaves oblong to oblanceolate-elliptic, 80-160 mm long, 15-30 mm broad, tapering in petiolar region, apices obtuse to rounded. Softly puberulous at first, becoming glabrous and coriaceous later, margins thickened and horny. Inflorescences obconic, 80-100 mm long, 70-110 mm wide at anthesis. Involucral receptacle convex, 20-30 mm in diam., 5-10 mm high. Involucral bracts 6-7 seriate, minutely pilose proximally, tending to glabrous distally, irregularly overlaid with a slightly sticky dark brown resinous material; outer series ovate acute, 10-15 mm wide, 10-20 mm long, margins occasionally ciliate; inner series loosely imbricate 60-80 mm long, 8-20 mm broad, becoming widely splayed at anthesis, oblong to broadly oblong with the innermost series prominently spathulate, apices obtuse to rounded, slightly concave. Perianth straight, 65-80 mm long; tube inflated, 15-20 mm long, glabrous proximally but otherwise shortly velutinous; claws densely velutinous; limbs linear, densely velutinous, 20 mm long, aristate, awns 5-10 mm long, densely villous, white, interspersed with purple-black trichomes, median awn on adaxial perianth sheath shorter than the two laterals. Anthers three, subsessile, linear, with very prominently sagittate apical connective, anther on free abaxial limb reduced to staminode. Style straight to very slightly adaxially arcuate, 60-70 mm long, ancipitous and puberulous proximally, becoming terete and glabrous distally. Pollen presenter 8-10 mm long, linear, very prominently geniculate at junction with style, apex minutely sagittate, incurved. Ovary obconic 4 mm long, covered with 10-15 mm long pale golden trichomes. Hypogynous scales very broadly ovate, 2 mm long. The flowering season is rather extended, commencing in late April and reaching a peak during the winter months of May, June and July; sometimes continuing until as late as September.