Serruria adscendens flowerheads

The contortions of floral parts in the busy Serruria adscendens mopheads make more sense if one bears in mind that this is a member of the Proteaceae family. In this family the perianth segments have to split, and drop off from the style. In the process the pollen grown on the insides of the segment tips is deposited upon the style tips. These sticky style tips start off functioning as presenters of the pollen to various itinerant members of the animal kingdom looking for food in the flowerhead. When the styles are freed and become erect, the collapsed segment parts fall upon the ovaries where the fruiting action starts, once the pollen grains grow down the styles from the stigma, no longer serving as a pollen presenter. The tiny, reddish rods visible here, curving up purposefully among the discarded mess of old segments, are the places where the pollen is collected by the pollinators. 

As signal flags, these colourful floral parts are most useful, albeit small. The random contortions of all the bits have an allure of their own. Attracting people with cameras also happens, but that is totally irrelevant, as they can contribute zilch. More importantly, the colours attract the sought-after pollinators who recognise the disorderly target, the sweet flowerhead. The destination is this confusion of curly strips where nectar and pollen are waiting. Then the next one! A little wriggle and shuffle, and we're in! Why were we invited? It does not matter. As long as we're fed. Acquiring an inadvertent covering of the edible powdery stuff is no bother, an enjoyable extra! 

And so it has been proceeding for countless generations of plants, birds and insects. Satisfaction follows for all participants, the beneficiaries contribute with no fuss. Who or what else gets eaten at gala dinners on the bush is never recorded by anyone.