Protea And Mimetes Flowers At UC Santa Cruz Arboretum

Need I describe our recent visit? Surely the photos speak for themselves.
'Pink Ice':

Most every plant was labeled, but I lost track of names, distracted by so many treasures on display. There were also Proteas out by themselves in otherwise empty areas, not labled.  Early autumn is not their major bloom period, but there were still scattered flowers to be seen on nearly every plant. 
'Rubens', I think:

Mimetes cuculleatus, too! Wowza! 

 

 Mimetes cuculeatus, like many Proteas, but unlike all or nearly all other Mimetes, develops a lignotuber:

a rounded woody growth at or below ground level on some shrubs and trees that grow in areas subject to fire or drought, containing a mass of buds and food reserves.

Here is the very rare Mimetes chrysanthus, found in only a few isolated places in South Africa.  This species was not discovered until 1987.

 Plants in the genus Protea can grow fairly large.  This particular shrub was about 6' tall and 10' wide:

Mimetes cuculleatus is about 4' x 4':

 Here's one that died.  Ouch!