Threeflower pagoda

Mimetes pauciflorus R.Br.

Mimetes pauciflorus, known as the threeflower pagoda, is an upright, evergreen shrub in the Proteaceae family. It grows 2–4 m tall and is native to the southern coastal mountains of South Africa. The plant has oval leaves and produces dense inflorescences of 10–40 cm in length at the top of its shoots.

Description

This shrub features narrow to broad oval leaves, 2.5–4 cm long and 0.75–2 cm wide, primarily on the upper branches. The lower parts of the plant are leafless, with a reddish brown bark. The inflorescences are cylindrical and contain 40 to 120 flower heads, each with three or four flowers. These are enclosed by four to five orange-yellow, lance-shaped bracts and three bracteoles of similar color. Mimetes pauciflorus blooms from August to November, with a peak in September. It thrives on consistently moist, south-facing slopes.