Euphorbia cooperi, yellow flowers, red fruit

The cyathia or false flowers and fruits of Euphorbia cooperi add to the allure of the bushveld candelabra tree. Flowers, whether they are standard, perfect or modified, are generally presented at the top of plants, as pollination and seed dispersal requirements are better served that way. 

The cyathia of this tree appear sessile, meaning stalkless on the uppermost pyramidal or heart-shaped segments of the elegantly shaped stems, always along the spiny ridges. The yellow cyathia grow just above the spines on the ridges of the top segment from midwinter. They occur in groups of three, the central male one flanked by two bisexual ones.

The fruits start off mainly green, to turn red, maroon red or purple later in the season around midsummer. The marked triangular and three-lobed capsule splits when ripe. Some flowering still overlaps with fruiting (Frandsen, 2017; Smith, et al, 2017; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Grant and Thomas, 1997; Pooley, 1993; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).