Eucomis schijffii from above

Seen from above, this Eucomis schijffii plant has five leaves on the ground overlapping in their rosette. Unequal in size but quite big, the oval leaves end in blunt tips, but only those that are not damaged. Living on the ground and unable to dodge moving objects, a leaf has to perform photosynthesis as best it can, irrespective of curved balls and hard hooves that it has to negotiate. This is the same for all else that ekes out a living in this world.

A weird colour scheme these leaves have: green, blue, grey and more tints may be separated by the trained eye of the artist when mixing hues on his palette for reproducing what is seen. There are also the blurred outlines of faint and pale leaf midribs, slightly sunken on some of the leaves.

Above the leaves and also above the flowers (that are hidden here), the coma of elegant bracts in several layers spreads conspicuously. This is the shield that partly conceals the flowers and also offers a convenient landing spot for flies that smelt the flowers. By this time the odour must be sufficiently strong for a short airborne hop, or a leisurely stroll over the bracts to start the mealtime. Fly feeding is almost invariably accompanied by the repetition of a timeless miracle, the trans-species survival phenomenon of pollination in exchange for sating hunger.