Protea parvula was first found near Kaapsche Hoop in Mpumalanga in 1928 by Dr E.P. Phillips. It is also found in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg at high altitude.
The flower is mostly seen widely opened, but in bud it has this globose appearance for a short while. The leaves vary from linear to elliptic or oblanceolate shapes with acute or rounded tips (Rourke, 1980).