This Leucospermum truncatulum plant found flowering during November in the Salmonsdam Nature Reserve was showing off its mature leaves continuing far down the stems, although not all the way onto the lowermost, thick and woody parts.
When considering the leaves, one is reminded of the common name of oval-leaf pincushion. No longer very hairy as they age, the pointed tips do not always have all three the teeth expected there. Old age is often associated with the loss of some teeth, but how it works here requires more teeth counting.
The glandular tips on Leucospermum leaf glands are thought to secrete a kind of nectar that attracts ants and wasps. Both these insects then prey on other insects that eat the young Leucospermum leaves.
Mutual back scratching in nature takes umpteen forms, including the almost sinister leaf protection business. Every party in nature with a need offers opportunities to others.
Just wait long enough! These participants don’t even figure out their nifty and unique solutions. Trial of many options and error punished by selective pre-procreation deaths over many generations can pull outlandish stunts (Marais, (Ed.), 2017; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org).