Kleinia fulgens starting to open

The Kleinia fulgens flowerhead in picture presents open, five-lobed florets around the margin of the disc flowerhead, while the buds in the centre are still closed. The scarlet corolla colour contrasts against the silvery grey of foliage and stems, enhancing the visual effects of these winter flowers.

The yellow anthers are exserted. Older florets will later also show the exserted red styles, each divided into two elaborately recurving stigma lobes.

The green involucre with characteristic vertical furrows is partly visible below the florets.

The leaves are succulent, obovate in shape, sometimes with serrated margins, otherwise tapering to one sharply pointed tip. The stem becomes swollen like a caudex in mature plants (Capon, 2005; www.succulents.us).