Protea angolensis

The leaves are leathery and hairless, green to bluish-green, oval-shaped, and measure 16 by 8cm in size. The inflorescences (flowerheads) are solitary and may grow to approximately 10 by 12cm in size,[2] sometimes smaller, 8 to 12cm in diameter.[1] The involucral bracts a pale green to bright pink or red colour. The inner bracts may be either heavily or sparely covered in silvery silky hairs.[2] This difference is often due to the age of the inflorescence, the hairs falling off as the structure becomes older.[1] The fruit is a densely hairy nut.[2]

There are two varieties:

• var. angolensis: A dwarf shrub which usually grows less than 1m tall,[2] usually to 60cm. Occurs in grassland, where it dies back to the ground each year when killed by frosts or wildfires in the winter dry season. It is also found at the edges of vleis and at the edges of woodland,[1] as well as in dambo.[4] It flowers in the late summer, from January to March. The flowers are white.[1]
• var. divaricata: A small tree to 4m in height.[2][3] Occurs in miombo. It flowers later than the nominate form, from April to July.[1] The flowers and bracts are bright pink, dark pink to red.[3]

This species occurs in northern, central and eastern Zimbabwe,[2][5] throughout Zambia, western Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, southern and western Tanzania,[1] northern Malawi[6] and to a limited extent in Mozambique[2] (only in Tete).[1] In Zambia it occurs throughout the country, and has been recorded in North-Western Province, Northern Province[4] (Bangweulu Wetlands),[3] Lusaka Province, Southern Province and Western Province.[4]

The species is the host plant for the larvae of the butterflies Capys disjunctus and C. connexivus.[2]