Home
Mission
Overview of Project
Project Staff
Sponsors
Achievements
Checking, Illustrations
Upcoming Activities
Id and Species Lists
Protea Information
Protea Gallery
Growing Proteas
Interim Dist. Maps
Publications
Afrikaanse Inligting
Cryptic Pagoda Geelstompie - Mimetes palustris
The Cryptic Pagoda is the smallest and least pretty species in the Pagoda genus. It is endemic to the Kleinrivier Mountains and grows above 700m. Being so rare and unknown, we have very little data for this species. It appears to flower from June to January. It is presumably bird pollinated, but we have no data on pollinators.
The Cryptic Pagoda does not occur in dense stands - one quarter of all localities consist of less than 10 plants. Only 8 per cent of localities have more than 100 plants in them. However, the low growth habit means that it is not easy to see the plants. Like all Pagodas, the seeds are dispersed by ants to their nests. They remain underground and only germinate after a fire. Adults are killed by fire. Although the mountains above Hermanus are well-known, this is not true of the area to the east. The Cryptic Pagoda may well extend east of Maanskynkop, but at present it is not known outside of the three nature reserves.
Back Identifying Pagodas