Senecio sarcoides dry flowerhead husks

    Senecio sarcoides dry flowerhead husks

    After blooming, when even the seeds have been dispersed, the desiccated, beige flowerhead involucres of Senecio sarcoides may remain in long-stalked clusters upon the plant as in the photo, taken in August at Goegap. These well-opened, bell-shaped involucres have straight bracts angling out, their tips curving out markedly.

    Earlier, many yellow flowerheads were borne in stem-tip clusters on long, hairless pedicels, their involucres cohering in a cylindrical shape. The narrow, green involucre is made up of one row of cohering bracts, 1 cm long. Some free, short, leaf-like bracts may be seen below the involucre base. 

    A flowerhead comprises one sparse whorl of yellow ray florets around a yellow disc. Flowerhead diameter is about 1 cm. Flowering happens from about midwinter to midspring (Manning, 2009; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; iNaturalist).