Aspalathus ciliaris, some flowers yet to open

    Aspalathus ciliaris, some flowers yet to open
    Author: Ivan Lätti
    Photographer: Thabo Maphisa

    When the flower of Aspalathus ciliaris becomes ready to open, the folded banner petal still envelops the rest of the flower, although it may look more like a fruit pod than a bud. The buff-coloured outer surfaces of these banana-shaped structures can be seen scattered among the leaves on the shrub in picture. Once the flower opens, the bright yellow inside of the corolla becomes more conspicuous than its hairy exterior.

    In the photo the leaves at stem tips around flowers tend to be longer and more broad-based than those lower down (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984).

    Total Hits : 911