Protea eximia flowerhead at Salmondsdam

The large flowerhead of Protea eximia opens widely, the conspicuous tops of the inner row of floral bracts spoon-shaped or spatulate. They are long, pink and separated from each other in a loose, circular array.

The lower, outer involucral bracts are ovate and overlapping; silky haired and partly covered by the broad leaves of the stem tops where these flowerheads are found. Involucral bracts lose the pinker hue of their top parts lower down, appearing white to greyish here, sometimes yellow. The dense cone-shaped mass of florets in the centre of the flowerhead is tipped with purple or black hairs on the awns.

There are lighter and darker colour variations of the flower bracts found across the habitat. The Naudesberg, the Waboomsberg and the Koo have, according to Rourke, some of the brightest P. eximia flowerheads in the range of species colouring (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2009; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Rebelo, 1995; Rourke, 1980; Eliovson, 1973; www.plantzafrica.com).