Hi everybody! I have a question about Protea cynaroides growth and
flowering patterns. My plants grow during the winter (Northern
Hemisphere). The new growth begins with some unusual leaves, I guess
they are bracts actually - they lack petiole and have hairs on their
margins and are much smaller and gentler than regular leaves. Then
normal stem and normal leafs develop. The bracts (?) soon dry and fall.
Unfortunately I don't have pictures at the moment. Their look very much resembles what is shown here:
http://www.ispotnature.org/node/545698
but with a little less coloration, maybe because of the low light levels here in winter.
So my question is - if you disagree that these are aborted flower buds,
then what? And can I expect flowers at the end of the new growth on the
same stem the same year, or it will be next year?
My variety
should flower in the spring, but do the flowers precede the new
vegetative growth or they come on top of it? Is it either flowers or new
growth or both and if both in what succession?
If there will not be
flowers this year I might root some cuttings, but if there is a chance
for blossoms than I'd prefer to see them :)
Thanks for any info!