Mace Pagoda

Mimetes stokoei E.Phillips & Hutch.

Mimetes stokoei, known as the Mace Pagoda, is an evergreen shrub in the Proteaceae family. It grows to 1–2 m tall, with silvery oval leaves and distinctive inflorescences featuring pinkish-purple crests and golden, hooded leaves. The plant is endemic to the Fynbos ecoregion in the Kogelberg mountain range of South Africa. It has experienced periods of presumed extinction but has reappeared naturally after wildfires.

Description

Mimetes stokoei is a large, upright shrub in the Proteaceae family, reaching 1–2 m in height. It has silvery, oval leaves 5–8 cm long with a single large tooth and two smaller ones near the tip. The inflorescences are cylindrical, 10–12 cm tall, with a pinkish-purple crest and golden, pink-tinged leaves forming a hood around the flower heads. Each flower head contains eight to twelve flowers with amber styles and blackish purple pollen presenters. Endemic to the Fynbos ecoregion in the Kogelberg mountain range of South Africa, the Mace Pagoda has been observed to reappear from seed after wildfires following periods of presumed extinction.