Protea, a flowerhead resembling repens

This plant was thought to be Protea repens. Colour and shape of the involucral bracts don't quite match and the woolliness on the florets say not quite.

Plants are often encountered representing the borderlines between species or displaying combinations of unusual attributes. Speciation is after all a gradual process happening over numerous generations. It does not affect established species equally in all parts of their distribution ranges as conditions and ecologies differ.

And then there is horticulture that achieves accentuated plant features expected to stimulate sales. This may include floral superiority, plant size, growing speed, hardiness and many other aspects favoured by gardeners and nursery owners.

Unknown plant varieties introduced into new neighbourhoods, escapes into nature where they have never rooted and may make mischief, or hair-brained marketing schemes of weird plants affect what we may see growing.

Sinister agendas involving plants for get-quick-rich, get-quick-high, get-quick-thin or get-quick-loved present intriguing possibilities. The minds of a budding botanical Agatha Christie and some would-be entrepreneurs could go racing.

A long story to warrant a pretty Protea picture that did not quite fit the species pattern! Everybody has a quota of flowers to look forward to and possibly identify tomorrow.