. 2 8   in ) ▁long ▁and ▁ 4 – 5   mm ▁( 0 . 1 6 – 0 . 2 0   in ) ▁in ▁diameter . ▁ ▁D iffer ences ▁with ▁related ▁species ▁ ▁The ▁splendid ▁pag oda ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁with ▁sil very ▁leaves ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁dense ▁covering ▁of ▁sil ky ▁hair s , ▁the ▁others ▁being ▁M . ▁ar b ore us , ▁M . ▁arg ente us , ▁M . ▁h ott ent ot icus ▁and ▁M . ▁st ok oe i . ▁From ▁the ▁other ▁species ▁in ▁this ▁group ▁it ▁can ▁be ▁distinguished ▁by ▁its ▁leaves ▁that ▁almost ▁fully ▁consist ently ▁have ▁three ▁or ▁four ▁teeth ▁near ▁their ▁tips . ▁In ▁addition , ▁the ▁invol uc ral ▁b ract s ▁that ▁surr ound ▁the ▁individual ▁flower ▁heads ▁are ▁ob long ▁with ▁a ▁rounded ▁tip , ▁nearly ▁hair less ▁on ▁the ▁outer ▁surface , ▁am ber - col oured ▁and ▁thin ▁when ▁fresh ▁( p ap ery ▁and ▁brown ▁in ▁her b arium ▁spec im ens ). ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁ ▁Richard ▁Anthony ▁Sal is bury ▁first ▁described ▁the ▁splendid ▁pag oda ▁in ▁ 1 8 0 9 ▁and ▁called ▁it ▁M im etes ▁splendid us . ▁He ▁did ▁so ▁in ▁a ▁book ▁that ▁contained ▁an ▁extensive ▁revision ▁of ▁the ▁Prote aceae , ▁titled ▁On ▁the ▁cultiv ation ▁of ▁the ▁plants ▁belonging ▁to ▁the ▁natural ▁order ▁of ▁Prote e ae , ▁published ▁by ▁Joseph ▁Knight . ▁Sal is bury ▁however , ▁re