Coraliflower

This small flower grows up to 4 inches (10 cm) tall. Its green stems grow from the base of the plant in bunches of 8 and are wispy and straight, and split into many branching stems halfway up, and the miniature, orange leaves are dark silver on the underside and are sickle shaped with serrated edges. Many leaves grow at the base of the stem, and more leaves alternate on the stem from about halfway up, up to the flower head.

Around 50 giant flowers grow in a bunch at the end of the stem. The flowers are 19 cm (7.5 inches) wide, with petals that are generally pink; each flower tends to be a variation of this colour. The flower head is made up of handfuls of petals; the lower layer of petals are flat, while the upper layers form a tight heart. They are very delicate.

It has a strong scent that smells like cotton, and it has very little pollen. It is pollinated by the wind, but is also visited by a small species of bird.