Didelta spinosa flowerhead receptacle

After flowering, the upper surface of the empty Didelta spinosa flowerhead receptacle looks like this. The receptacle is the bottom part of the flowerhead, the enlarged base at the end of the stalk to which all the upper parts, mainly florets, are attached.

The pale, honeycomb cavity walls on the receptacle are artistically arranged in a shallow dome to nearly flat surface of which bees with an aesthetic sense might approve.

The solitary disc floret remnants hanging down from the centre give an idea of floret length, usually missed when the erect florets are densely stacked, forming the disc. The dark protrusion at its tip may be stigma remains (Manning, 2007).