Hoplophyllum spinosum fruit

By August this Hoplophyllum spinosum plant already had some drying fruit to show, no longer the dull-yellow flowerheads that are produced around this time to early summer.

The small flowerhead bears only about five small disc florets and no ray florets. Each tubular disc floret is nearly cylindrical, five-lobed and bisexual. The linear anthers are tailed and have membranous appendages. The style branches are thread-like and bristly.

The fruit is covered in numerous rough-textured bristles. Some long, dry and pointed inner bracts are visible among the bristles in picture (Le Roux, et al, 2005; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; iNaturalist; Wikipedia).