Paranomus bracteolaris inflorescences

Paranomus bracteolaris inflorescences are loose spikes at stem-tips, appearing all over the bush from late winter to after midspring. A spike becomes from 4 cm to 9 cm long.

The black or brown nutlet seed of this plant bears an elaiosome, an attachment edible by ants. The ants carry these seeds underground to their nests where the seeds are safe from harm including fire, until moisture triggers germination.

Both the dispersal and the fire protection are important to the plant that does not resprout after fire, being single-stemmed (Manning, 2007; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org).