Mimetes hirtus from above

Seen from above the Mimetes hirtus stem displays a neat and regular arrangement of leaves spiralling orderly. The colour right at the top starts off beige on the tiny leaves, pale purple on the elongating ones and several shades of green on the mature ones showing their tips. Ciliate white margins are more conspicuous on the younger leaf whorls. All the leaves at the stem-tip have grown since the flowers started opening lower down. 

The batches of styles ending in white and purple pollen presenters have by now probably been used for pollen grains reaching the ovaries waiting in the flowering leaf axils below.

The leaves lower down than the inflorescences do not appear very different (Manning, 2009; Rebelo, 1995; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org).