▁top ▁of ▁the ▁stam ens . ▁In ▁Ph ym at oc arp us ▁they ▁are ▁attached ▁at ▁their ▁base ▁and ▁open ▁at ▁the ▁other ▁end ▁through ▁two ▁sl its . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁shr ub ▁with ▁many ▁small ▁heads ▁of ▁p ink ▁to ▁pur ple ▁flowers , ▁often ▁covering ▁the ▁plant ▁for ▁several ▁weeks ▁in ▁October . ▁ ▁Description ▁Ph ym at oc arp us ▁max w elli i ▁is ▁an ▁ere ct ▁to ▁spread ing ▁shr ub ▁which ▁sometimes ▁grows ▁to ▁a ▁height ▁and ▁width ▁of ▁. ▁The ▁leaves ▁are ▁broad ▁egg - sh aped , ▁ ▁long , ▁often ▁cur ved ▁and ▁st iff ▁but ▁not ▁pr ick ly . ▁ ▁The ▁flowers ▁are ▁p ink ▁to ▁pur ple ▁and ▁are ▁arranged ▁in ▁dense , ▁roughly ▁spher ical ▁heads ▁about ▁ ▁in ▁diameter ▁on ▁the ▁ends ▁of ▁branches ▁which ▁continue ▁to ▁grow ▁after ▁flow ering . ▁There ▁are ▁ 5 ▁sep als , ▁ 5 ▁pet als ▁and ▁ 5 ▁bund les ▁of ▁stam ens . ▁It ▁can ▁be ▁distinguished ▁from ▁the ▁other ▁two ▁species ▁of ▁Ph ym at oc arp us ▁by ▁it ▁lack ▁of ▁a ▁ring ▁of ▁stam ens ▁- ▁both ▁the ▁others ▁have ▁the ▁stam ens ▁joined ▁in ▁a ▁ring ▁at ▁their ▁bases . ▁Flow ering ▁occurs ▁from ▁August ▁to ▁November ▁and ▁is ▁followed ▁by ▁f ruits ▁which ▁are ▁wo ody ▁caps ules . ▁The ▁individual ▁caps ules ▁are ▁about ▁ ▁in ▁diameter ▁and ▁are ▁arranged ▁in ▁clusters ▁which ▁are ▁rough ▁or ▁lum py ▁on ▁the ▁outer ▁surface