Phaenocoma prolifera whitening from the inside

The Phaenocoma prolifera flowerheads in picture are losing colour from the inside bracts on this plant. A ring of white gradually spreads to the full length of the inner bracts in each ageing head, then further. The pattern is interesting but not consistent in the species.

Every bract has a woolly shaft at the base, a central, dark brown hinge and a narrowly tapering, papery, pointed blade at the top. To inspect all of that properly a head will have to be broken, an offence forgiven when committed rarely and in the interests of learning, if science is too big a word under the circumstances.

The leaves are here small as always but yellow green. They are often grey green or darker green to blue-green (Manning, 2009; Bean and Johns, 2005; iNaturalist).