Protea angolensis is also known as the Angolan protea, northern protea or northern sugarbush.[1] In Afrikaans it is known as the noordelijke suikerbos.[1] This is a dwarf, multistemmed shrub or small straggling tree occurring in open wooded grassland and miombo.[1] [2]
The leaves are leathery and hairless, green to bluish-green, oval-shaped, and measure in size. The inflorescences (flowerheads) are solitary and may grow to approximately in size,[1] sometimes smaller, in diameter. The involucral bracts a pale green to bright pink or red colour. The inner bracts may be either heavily or sparely covered in silvery silky hairs.[1] This difference is often due to the age of the inflorescence, the hairs falling off as the structure becomes older. The fruit is a densely hairy nut.[1]
GBIF recognizes three varieties:[3]
This species occurs in northern, central and eastern Zimbabwe,[1] [4] throughout Zambia, western Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, southern and western Tanzania, northern Malawi[5] and to a limited extent in Mozambique[1] (only in Tete). In Zambia it occurs throughout the country, and has been recorded in North-Western Province, Northern Province (Bangweulu Wetlands),[2] Lusaka Province, Southern Province and Western Province.[6]
The species is the host plant for the larvae of the butterflies Capys disjunctus and C. connexivus.[1]