Protea dracomontana florets in various stages

Multiple layers of flat pink involucral bracts form a wall around the transforming Protea dracomontana florets in the flowerhead. The central florets are still gathered in a woolly cone.

To the right in the photo, some white “bent sticks” are visible. These are the middle parts of the styles inside the perianths pushing out, challenging the strength of the perianth segments that still hold onto their tips for now. On the left, the challenge is over, resulted in freed, erect styles topped with straight, yellow pollen presenters. Some of the opened perianth segments are still erect here, soon to collapse, wasted around the firmer styles ensuring that the pollen presenters are in position.

A flower is not only an object, but also a happening of orderly proceeding events ending in fruit production (Rebelo, 1995; Rourke, 1980; iNaturalist).