New and old Leucadendron pubescens fruiting cones, the ones growing on a female bush, are quite different:

The newly formed one in picture is very much alive. Globular in structure, its broad-tipped bracts are firmly closed in a hard ball, protecting the developing fruits and their seeds inside. The cone is yeast-scented. It becomes 1 cm to 2 cm in diameter.

The old, blackish cones at the other end of the growth cycle are dry, their bracts markedy twisted to open gaps, ensuring escape opportunities for the ripe fruit; the annual mission accomplished (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Paterson-Jones and Manning, 2007; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist).