Mimetes cucullatus emerging headlet bracts

When Mimetes cucullatus flowering begins at a stem tip, a spike of headlets emerges. Each headlet appears like a leafy cylinder narrowing at the top, consisting of overlapping involucral bracts hiding their florets. In each axil of the long, colourful inflorescence leaves a similar headlet appears, involucre first. Each involucre is protected from above by the next higher inflorescence leaf, under which the fully developed floral headlet will be shielded.

Within the Mimetes genus M. cucullatus is grouped among species called the cowl pagodas. They have asymmetrical headlet tubes with longer involucral bracts on the lower side than on the upper side. There is a hint in this picture that the small involucres in the spike are already having their bract tips parted by the insistent floret buds busy elongating.

The margins of the inflorescence leaves in picture are strongly bent down at the base, ready to support and guide the bunches of florets below them into position (Manning, 2009; Rebelo, 1995; iNaturalist).