Leucadendron uliginosum male plant

The old male Leucadendron uliginosum flowerheads in picture are grey and brush-like in their pale yellow stem-tip bowls of involucral leaves. These are by January without pollen, so not too many insect visitors can be expected.

Only the female flowerheads, the fruit cones, have a faint lemon-scent for attraction when newly blooming, the males depending on anther colour to lure pollination tourists.

The normal stem-leaves ascend upon the stems, smaller than the yellow ones up top. Non-flowering young stems have red stem-tip leaves. The youngest stems in picture are pale cream, the stronger ones higher up are red, while the lower big stem has brownish grey bark (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist).