Garuleum bipinnatum flowerhead

The flowerheads of Garuleum bipinnatum are carried solitary or in lax corymbs on stalks of variable length, up to 12 cm long. The flowerhead has a bell-shaped involucre comprising two or three rows of overlapping bracts with whitish, membranous margins.

The single row of spreading ray florets are mauve, blue or occasionally white. The central disc, protruding above the surrounding rays is yellow, the corolla tubes of the numerous florets five-lobed. In picture the outer disc florets have opened and exserted stamens or styles can be discerned. The buds in the centre are globose. The flowerhead becomes 25 mm wide and 6 mm long.

This is the only Garuleum species that bears fruit from both the female ray florets and the bisexual disc florets. The flattened fruits have wings on their margins but no pappuses.

Flowering usually occurs in spring, sometimes throughout the year, probably rain related (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; iNaturalist; www.plantzafrica.com).