Dissecting Protea flower

Full 'Pink Ice' Protea flower with leaves and stem cut short

Removing 'outer bracts'

Removing 'inner bracts'

Left with inner core of flowers (the part I use)

Some flowers pulled off stem. One individual flower piece beside the 2p

Core grabbed and ripped off stem

One individual flower on right

First time laying out the flower and attempting to count its contents. Approx 290 individual flower pieces in this particular Protea. Each piece includes a stem I use for the chain, a seed on the 'style', used in the blanket and another piece that holds the flower and pollen.

Damp imprint on paper once removed

The 3 main parts

Flowers are left to dry out once separated to gain darker colour and loose most of the moisture.

Base of the individual flowers that attach to the stem*

The tips of 'styles' with pink pollen presenters and yellow dusting of pollen

* The stem base the flowers are pulled away from