Berzelia lanuginosa young flowerheads

When the florets on the numerous Berzelia lanuginosa stem-tip flowerheads are yet to open, the heads tight and small, the inflorescence looks like the stock of a balloon salesman at a fair or otherwise festive affair. Too few colour options will dent his chances of brisk business, but the balloon in hand is always better than the many in the bunch for sale. Balloon salesmen don’t fare so well these days of environmental concerns over plastic pollution.

While children should be delighted in new creative ways on their birthdays, it is worth noting how thick, straight and of similar length the stalks are on these floral balls. And how the rough surfaces change colour as the florets approach anthesis (opening). The heads are not yet the 5 mm in diameter they will be when the tiny open florets protrude.

Some red tissue may be seen at the peduncle bases of this species, although the redlegs name goes to another species, B. abrotanoides, on which the phenomenon is more spectacular (Manning, 2009; Bean and Johns, 2005; Naturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org).