Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum offering food

Leucospermum conocarpodendron subsp. viridum, the green tree pincushion, is developing flowerheads here that will be watched with great interest by the Cape sugarbirds. They are avid consumers of the plentiful nectar awaiting them in the flowerhead bases. In the process of reaching down with their long, thin, curved beaks they will unintentionally take pollen on board, stuck to the fine feathers on their faces and necks. Upon visiting further flowerheads during the course of their itinerant meals, this pollen will become deposited on stigmas of other heads, exactly what the plant needs for fertilisation leading to seed formation (Manning 2009; iNaturalist; www.plantzafrica.com).