Brabejum stellatifolium transformed stem tips

This stem tip flowering of Brabejum stellatifolium resembles the cylindrical inflorescences of the Banksia genus, part of the Australian Proteaceae. Banksia plants tend to bear their flower cylinders erectly and solitary, not in clusters as the wild-almond does it.

This shrub blooming so vigorously was less than 2 m tall at the time of the photo, growing in the Kogelberg near a river, some years after a fire. Ambitious in its flower production, the spikes are shorter than usually seen… maybe overambitious, it pushed out more than it could prolong.

Still, lots of seed should come from the effort. The photo was taken in November (Coates Palgrave, 2002; www.plantzafrica.com).