Berzelia abrotanoides young inflorescence

The starting Berzelia abrotanoides inflorescence among the yellow green stem-tips gets whiter and brighter when the tiny florets on the spheres open. The substantial peduncles in picture are thicker than the upper stems near them, but paler and their fewer leaves adhere to the surfaces.

This is also the phase during which the peduncles turn red. The short-lived redness is associated with peduncle elongation. They start off green, peak in deep red at anthesis, and fade during seed production. Depending on moisture and temperature, the red phase possibly lasts from a week to a few weeks (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org).