What on earth?

[TheOnionMan]

For comparison, a good Limonium photo page, scroll down to see L. suworowii (suwarowii):
http://itp.lucidcentral.org/id/cutflowers/key/Cut_Flower_Exports_of_Africa/Media/Html/Fact_sheets/Limonium.htm

[Lori S.]

All that said, I have spome doubts whether the mystery plant is a Limonium... to me, the closed tube-shape flowers with feathery filaments protruding puts it in the camp of Celosia. 

Yes, I've come around to that conclusion too.