Protea aurea subsp. aurea old head closed again

    Protea aurea subsp. aurea old head closed again

    After blooming, the Protea aurea subsp. aurea flowerhead closes again, allowing fruiting to take place in the well-covered space inside the base of the involucre.

    At this late stage the reconverged styles are quite a bit longer than when the young flowerhead first revealed them (Manning, 2009; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Rourke, 1980; iNaturalist).