Euryops speciosissimus flowerhead

Seen from below this Euryops speciosissimus flowerhead reveals its deep, angular shape usually hidden below the ray florets. The green bracts are fused into a flat involucral base with no scales on the receptacle, a feature of the genus. The smooth green walls turn slightly inwards to short, regularly pointed tips with papery margins; all that remains visible of bract individuality. Buds and spent flowerheads appear conical in the absence of the spreading rays.

The number of yellow rays per flowerhead varies from 16 to 35; their lengths also differing much, from 17 mm to 45 mm. Disc florets are many: from 100 to 400 tiny, cone-shaped florets make up one yellow centre. The seeds are up to 7 mm long and hairless (Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).