Kingdom Plantae Family Proteaceae Scientific name Mimetes fimbriifolius | Order Proteales Genus Mimetes Rank Species | |
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Similar Mimetes hirtus, Mimetes, Leucospermum conocarpodendron, Mimetes cucullatus, Protea lanceolata | ||
Mimetes fimbriifolius, also called cowl pagoda or the fringed pagoda, is a species of plant in the family Proteaceae. It is endemic to the Table Mountain range in the city of Cape Town, South Africa.
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Appearance
A dense, rounded, multi-branched tree that grows up to 4 metres in height, this attractive and striking plant flowers all year round and produces red and yellow branch-heads and inflorescences. The nectar-rich flowers are pollinated by sunbirds and the seeds are distributed and taken underground by ants before germinating.
Distribution
Indigenous to the Peninsula Sandstone Fynbos of the Cape Peninsula, this small tree used to be very common on Table Mountain but harvesting for fire wood and the spread of invasive alien plants have caused it to disappear from much of its former range.
Ecology
Mimetes fimbriifolius is the largest and longest-living of all Mimetes species. Its bark is exceptionally fire-resistant, allowing it to survive the seasonal fires that naturally sweep across all Fynbos vegetation.