The young Leucospermum reflexum var. reflexum flowerhead has a brief stage of balance between bract and perianth size, before the latter takes over.

The usually hard bracts cover the whole structure to the whitish bulge in the centre, while no florets have developed among the upper, central bracts. They are confined to the lower, outer parts of the head in an abrupt discontinuation.

The bracts are mostly bright purple-red, acutely pointed and out-curved with white-haired marginal fringes.

The florets are now all still closed tubes, not quite cylindrical, coloured red and green with pointed tips that angle up and out like artillery pieces (Manning, 2009; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; http://pza.sanbi.org).