Anisodontea triloba older flower

An old Anisodontea triloba flower turns whiter as it retains its shape, while the anthers on the outside of the central tube darken.

The petal claws in picture are creamy white, appearing sturdy while the blades change colour at the limb. The dark patches at the petal bases are projected up the blades slightly in stripes that fade and shrink higher up. The petals don’t overlap, hardly touch here but may overlap slightly spirally when not fully spread.

Calyx hairiness appears rougher than on the leaves. The epicalyces in picture appear to be more fringed along their margins or ciliate and less conspicuously hairy on their surfaces.

Much old wood from which leaves have been lost is around the flowers in the photo (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; Le Roux, et al, 2005; iNaturalist).