Serruria cygnea flowerhead accompanied by green youngster

A small green Serruria cygnea flowerhead bud can be spotted on only a short stalk next to the nearly flowered out mature head in centre stage. Small beginnings are sometimes of another colour.

The revealed maroon styles ending in in-curved pollen presenters in the big head continue the curvature presented in the perianth buds earlier, only spreading more widely. This is the cause of the swan reference in the specific name, cygnea, and in the common name of swan spiderhead. The styles are 9 mm to 12 mm long.

Below the mature head there is a small, outcurving bract on the peduncle. A few of them are always found scattered on flowerhead peduncles of this species, helping in identifying this species (Rebelo, 1995; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; JSTOR; Wikipedia).