Protea acaulos bud of a capitulum

The bud of the Protea acaulos flowerhead, ensconced among the petioles and lower regions of surrounding leaves, is ovoid, compactly covered by its five or six rows of clasping involucral bracts.

The tips of the successive rows of involucral bracts produce a regular geometric pattern by their overlapping. The colours of the different rows of tips are progressively paler to the centre in the photo, the white margins of the pointed tips contributing.

The open flower will show rounded tips on the inner ring of bracts, not yet revealed in bud (Manning, 2007; Rebelo, 1995; Rourke, 1980; iNaturalist).