Cunonia capensis creamy blooms

The cylindrical Cunonia capensis flower spike of up to 14 cm long grows from a leaf axil near a branch tip. The spikes grow in pairs.

Each inflorescence bears numerous small white to cream florets that are bisexual. Each flower has a short calyx tube and oblong petals, shorter than the calyx tube. A flower has ten stamens in two whorls of five, bringing about the white abundance when all have opened.

The ovary has two horns that persist in the fruit, a leathery capsule. In the photo some white stamens can be seen protruding on the sides from the whitish mass. At the tip of one spike some globular buds are yet to open.

The dark green, leathery leaflets of the imparipinnate leaves have small, spaced teeth on their incurving margins. The pale leaflet midribs are conspicuous, the ascending lateral veins less so (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Rycroft, 1980).