Mimetes hirtus [Marsh Pagoda]

[nfoto]

Rørslett, B. 2022. Mimetes hirtus (L.) Salisb. ex Knight. Protaceae. Marsh Pagoda. South-African flowers photographed in ultraviolet (UV) and visible light. LINK

 

This is a member of the highly endemic genus Mimetes, comprising 13 species, all of which are confined to the Cape Floristic Biome and many are vulnerable according to International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). They are perennial shrubs and can survive the frequent wildfires of the Fynbios biotope  characteristic of this region.

 

The genus has even for a member of the Protaceae very specialised flower structures, an explanation of which can perused here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimetes. Suffice it to say that the flowers are designed for visits by small nectar-feeding birds.

 

Mimetes hirtus is a perennial shrub that grows to about 2.5m tall. It is present in marshland at the foothills of the coastal region around Cape Town. I found and photographed it at Olifantbos. Cape Point Nature Reserve, Western Cape.

 

The distribution map (from http://www.ville-ge.ch/musinfo/bd/cjb/africa/details.php?langue=an&id=82950) shows its restricted range of occurrence,

 

 

The general habit of Mimetes hirtus,

 

 

A closer look at the highly specialised flowers, with the so-called pollen presenters sticking out as red rods or needles. These presenters, significant as differential species characters,  are a modified stigma of a style and carry the pollen with it from anthers located in the inner parts of the 4-merous corolla,

 

 

A close-up of the pollen presenters,

 

 

The flower structures as they appear in ultraviolet (UV) light,

 

 

 

and finally, a close-up focusing on the pollen presenters,

 

 

Mimetes hirtus must be the most challenging species to document amongst those I photographed on this expedition to South Africa.

 

All photographs on this page are copyright Birna Rørslett and may not be used without explicit permission of the author.

 

[Published 11 February, 2022]

[colinbm]

Nature never ceases to amaze me.

[Doug A]

Fascinating images @nfoto. So much detail. In UV, the pollen presenters remind me of fiber optics. Amazing.

Thanks for sharing,

Doug A

[Andrea B.]

Excellent documentation of a fascinating flower.