Brownbract Conebush
(Added to iSpot on 2nd July 2013)
Almost impossible to distinguish Ld laureolum and microcephalum from 100m away: one has to get up close.
Up close it is trivial: the huge brown bracts hide the heads until flowering.
The function of the brown varnish is not known: it is sticky-slimy (not sticky-gluey), and persists on the female cones. (Ld gandogeri also has it). - antipredation or attraction for pollinators?
brown blotches on involucral leaves
The brown marks on the involucral leaves are superficially similar to the marks on Ld laureolum. Another observation from the Peninsula hints that these are scale insects: wonder if they are shared? Wonder if they are perhaps part of the display to attract pollinators?
We need to know more about pollinators!!