Eriocephalus ericoides subsp. ericoides inflorescence

The purple flowerheads of Eriocephalus ericoides subsp. ericoides consist only of disc florets and no surrounding rays.

Grown on longish peduncles that angle out from leaf axils in a raceme inflorescence structure, each head is surrounded at the base by one row of rounded involucral bracts. The bracts in picture are fleshy green and purple in their upper parts. The receptacle at the base is covered by scales.

Red-purple, paired style branches are visible above some marginal florets in picture at the tops of the heads, as well as exserted yellow anthers from some of the open trumpet-shaped to funnel-shaped, five-lobed male florets.

Blooming begins in midwinter and continues through spring (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; iNaturalist).