This close up of Sencio triqueter was photographed by Heiner Lutzeyer some 18 weeks after the fire. Macro shots like this show the intricate nature of the flowers in the Asteraceae family. The family name is derived from the genus Aster, while Compositae, an older name for the family, means composite and refers to the characteristic inflorescence, which is made up of many smaller florets packed together in a head. These compact flowerheads are not only attractive to us humans but more importantly are far more effective at attracting pollinators than the individual florets would be. With over 1040 species of Asteraceae, it is the most diverse family in the Cape flora. On Grootbos alone we have identified 104 different Asteraceae species.
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