PROTEACEAE 153 



Plate 32. 



A. Orothamnus Zeyheri (Meissn.) Pappe 



B. Diastella serpyllifolia Knight I. Flowering twig. 2. Flower, laid open. 2/1. 



C. Mimetes hirta (L.) Knight 1. Flowering branch, with visiting bird 

 (Anthobaphes violaced). 2. Ovary with hypogynous scales. 8/1. 3. Fruit (nut) with 

 persistent perianth. 8/1. 



The three genera represented on this plate are treated by De Candolle 

 and later on by Bentham and Hooker, also by Harvey, as one genus, but 

 they have been recently separated again by Mr E. Phillips in the Flora 

 Capensis (Vol. v, sect. 1, pp. 502 sqq.). They are easily distinguished from 

 each other by the nature of the capitulum. 



Orothamnus Zeyheri is a small shrub of the mountains south of Sir Lowry's 

 Pass ; it has beautiful, quite singular looking flower-heads, the bracts of the 

 involucre being bright red, glossy and transparent, almost fleshy. 



Diastella serpyllifolia is a low, straggling shrublet with decumbent branches, 

 common on the Cape Flats and in other sandy districts of the coast. Several 

 other species of the same genus differ principally by the shape of their leaves. 



Mimetes Salisb. (Eu-Mimetes). 



This genus as now limited is easily recognised by the compact racemose 

 arrangement of its flower-heads, each small, more or less cylindrical head being 

 sheltered by a hooded, brightly coloured leaf. The segments of the perianth 

 are quite free and the nut is sessile. 



Mimetes hirta. Shoots numerous from a common crown, 2 — 3 feet high, 

 with a very showy spike of headlets. Fairly frequent on the sandy flats of 

 the mountains south of Simonstown and Sir Lowry's Pass. 



Mimetes lyrigera (M. cucullatd). This medium sized tree resembles 

 Leucospermum conocarpum in shape. When in flower it forms a very conspicuous 

 object even seen from a distance. The flowers are regularly visited by 

 sun birds, Cinnyris, Anthobaphes, and Promerops. 



The bark is rich in tannin and consequently often gathered as a tanning 

 material by stripping the trees and shrubs. As this destruction, for all stripped 

 trees must die, is repeated whenever the younger ones have become large 

 enough for the purpose, the plant has disappeared from many hills and 

 mountains where it used to abound, and full-grown specimens, with a crown 

 20 feet in diameter are now only rarely met with. 



M. 20 



