Leucadendron xanthoconus female cones

Female Leucadendron xanthoconus cones don’t bear such spectacular yellow involucral leaves around them as the male counterparts do around their pollen cones on the male bushes. In fact, there is not much left in leaf colouring to write home about on this sparsely leaved plant at all.

When the cones were young, the tiny female florets were present all the way up the then hairy outsides cone surfaces. Later, the mature female cones holding on to their seeds for many years may be predominantly green, red, brown or pale yellow (Marais, (Ed.), 2017; Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; Mustart, et al, 1997; iNaturalist).