Berzelia lanuginosa closeness isn't overrated

Move closer or magnify the observed target and more comes to light. The young Berzelia lanuginosa heads appear considerably rougher at closer range, like the mountain approached during a car journey or the human skin after marriage.

Coverings of individual florets bulge and different parts start bearing different colours. When they open, the tiny corollas will be shorter than the stamens. The creamy peduncles of the heads are now more clearly and variably sparsely covered in small, oblong, dull green leaves adhering to the stems. Similar surprises await when approaching the moon by spaceship one day (Manning, 2009; Bean and Johns, 2005; Naturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org).