Combretum molle flowers

The flowers of Combretum molle are yellow or greenish yellow before they slowly turn light brown with age. They grow in dense axillary spikes that are often branched. At the base of each spike a leafy bract will be found. Every spike may carry as many as 50 individual flowers. The flowers are faintly scented, attracting many insects. Each flower has eight stamens. The petals are sometimes large, sometimes invisible as this species is variable. The style is greenish yellow and is excerted before the flower actually opens.

The flowers appear in spring with or before the new foliage. The onset, amount and frequency of rain cause much variation in the timing of the first flower appearance (Carr, 1988; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Coates Palgrave, 2002).