Chrysocoma ciliata flowering with intent

Floral profusion in Chrysocoma ciliata means numerous rounded heads, all over the rounded bush above the foliage. Many spaced, stick-like protuberances ending in small knobs upon the disc florets remind of the virus that has been the bane of people’s lives early in the third decade of the twenty first century.

The cheerful golden colour makes up for the disconcerting shapes. And the protuberances are after all exserted floral parts involved in fruit and seed production; therefore not sinister.

The photo was taken south of Worcester during October (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist).