2035.000 Protea L.

Erect or prostrate suffrutices, shrubs or trees, up to 8 m. Leaves alternate or clustered near the ends of the branches simple, entire. Flowers in dense heads, surrounded by a conspicuous many-seriate involucre of bracts; bracts spirally arranged, very small in the outer series to as large as the flowers in the inner, sometimes brightly coloured. Style terminated by a linear pollen-presenter. Fruit an obconic achene, with the long straight brown hairs persistent.

Derivation of name: after Proteus, son of Poseidon, who was able to take on many different forms; referring to the great variability of the genus.

Worldwide: c. 100 species in the tropics and South Africa.

Zimbabwe: 12 taxa.