Phaenocoma prolifera growing stem tips

It is near midwinter. The Phaenocoma prolifera upper stems in picture end in the small beginnings of new flowerhead buds. The leaves on the stems are green, mostly growing on short, white-tipped side-branchlets.

They will probably not all get long. The seasonal growth messages directing resources differ in cycles among the parts competing for resources as the priorities change. Changes in the juices that flow through the plant see to that (Manning, 2009; iNaturalist).