Possible Clues:

• Admitting defeat, gang returns to develop well
• What some relationships do
• Bloom is the first to blubber at bereavement of leading Frenchman
• Flower we could cut small twice with a similar result
• A fruitful sign?
• Young flower is one containing empty seeds
• Crowd comes back having swallowed defeat — that's mature
• See small plant coming up beneath black flower
• On reflection, gang needs to accept bereavement to flourish
• To flower