Eucomis schijffii floral features

Under a multi-layered, leaf-like roof of bracts the small flowers in the thick-stalked Eucomis schijffii raceme have their tepals opened wide for the miracle of new life. The purple tepals of each flower spread and curve in, forming the cup in which it is all to happen. Only the tiny tepal tips appear dry and whitish, not to be confused with the bigger, yellower anthers held high by their tapering filaments. These filaments form an inner, whitish cup inside the darker corolla, by broadening and joining each other at the base. These inner cups in the flowers are shaped to accommodate the three-loculed, green ovaries in their midst without touching them. 

Shoulder to shoulder the flowers cover the floral cylinder, their tepals touching each other on the outside for the short duration of this, their ostentatious reproductive happening. There are numerous ovules in each ovary, an ovary in each flower and six anthers around each ovary. No skimping occurs in nature's reproductive happenings!