Telopea

Small trees or shrubs, often lignotuberous. Leaves alternate, simple, margins entire, toothed or lobed, distinctly petiolate. Inflorescence terminal, a dense ovoid to globular pseudo-racemose head surrounded by an involucre of enlarged reddish caducous bracts. Flowers zygomorphic, pedicellate, in pairs subtended by a small caducous bract. Tepals usually red, initially coherent but later slit by the style along outer edge, only free at apex (at least in Victoria); anthers sessile; hypogynous glands fused into a crescent or partial ring; ovary stipitate, glabrous, ovules several in 2 rows; style long and curved, tip dilated into a pollen presenter. Fruit a several-seeded, leathery to almost woody follicle; seeds in 2 imbricate rows, flat with a terminal wing.