Protea scolymocephala floral heyday no longer

In this old Protea scolymocephala flowerhead the styles still protrude outwards rigidly, some even beyond the seemingly belated incurved involucre tips. The best of bloomtime for this head has already happened some days ago, however.

The brown mass of perianths in the centre makes one wonder whether all of the florets have opened properly, or some failed ones may be collapsed there among the scattered segments of those that did. A plant and a flowerhead can only do so much, given the moisture and nutrients that reach it when the going, the growing is tough (Manning, 2007; Rebelo, 1995; Rourke, 1980; iNaturalist).