ˈprōd.ēə noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Proteus, sea god who had the power of assuming different shapes, from Latin; from the great variety of forms it exhibits
1. capitalized : a genus (the type of the family Proteaceae) of shrubs with alternate rigid leaves, dense flower heads resembling cones, and a fruit that is a hairy nut — see honeyflower b
2. -s : any plant of the genus Protea
[s]protea.jpg[/s]