The King Protea takes on many forms. Its leaves can be round, oval or elliptic. Its flowerhead can be small or huge. Its involucre of silky haired bracts can range from pink to crimson to yellow or creamy white. Its multitude of florets are bisexual having unusual bilateral symmetry. Its florets bloom mostly during winter but can also flower during any other time of the year. Its fruits are densely bearded and can use it as wings to fly in the wind.  

I found the King not only dressed in a bright creamy green but also in crimson pink on the slopes of L’Aghulas National Park.  As covid descended upon us and we began our lockdown, 26 March 2020, I sketched the King on a pot against a great looming darkness.