Protea parvula open flowerhead

In picture some Protea parvula perianths, the individual florets erect in the head are white. Others are pink with brown velvety tips that disappear from sight once the pollen presenters break free and the segments collapse around the styles.

The inner surfaces of the innermost involucral bracts become visible when the flowerhead spreads. These hairless bracts are oblong and channelled, white with pink in their apical regions and irregularly shaped margins. There is the occasional, curious angular tooth and the margin may be finely hair-fringed or ciliate. The outer rows of bracts are broadly ovate and progressively shorter, often dark-tipped from desiccation. Flowerheads vary in size from 35 mm to 60 mm in diameter.

The styles are up to 35 mm long, the pollen presenters 5 mm. The anthers inside the tips of the four segments are up to 8 mm long. The cone-shaped ovary below is about 5 mm long, covered in long, red-brown hairs.

Flowering in summer to early autumn, the seeds are released soon after ripening. Birds pollinate the flowers and wind disperses the seed (Pooley, 1998; Rourke, 1980; iNaturalist).