The seeds of Mimetes and Leucospermum are very different to the Protea, their dispersal, dormancy, and germination triggers requiring specific dormancy breaking cues
A simple bare bones instruction on how to germinate these seeds does not give one a deeper appreciation of the ecological workings of the Fynbos Biome of which these plants form an integral part.
The hard, nutlike seeds (more scientifically named achene) of Leucospermums and Mimeteses are collected by ants after they have dropped from the flowers and stored underground in their nest where they are relatively safe from mice and rats. These seeds have a soft outer coat (elaiosome see fig 1) that has a pheromone that attracts both the ants and mice. This coat is utilised by the ants, and they store the seeds underground before the mice can get to them.
The seeds of the Protea are not stored underground, instead they are dispersed by wind after the plant has been killed by periodic fires and the seed heads have opened, releasing the seeds. As each seed head may produce five to ten viable seeds amongst hundreds of other non-viable seeds this may confuse the mice predators. These seeds have no ant attractor.