Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. ladismithiensis flowers

The flowers of Cotyledon tomentosa subsp. ladismithiensis grow in clusters on sturdy, finely hairy peduncles. The flower bud has triangular sepals clutching the back end of the corolla. The bud tapers towards its tip while still closed, widening to an urn or oblong shape when it opens, allowing the stamens and style to protrude beyond the five petals. The flowers may be quite brightly red, as those in this picture, or orange to almost cerise-yellow on the inside of the recurving opened petals. Maybe the flowers will become pendulous or nod later, but these point outwards.

The plant grows in only a limited number of known stands in its habitat, declining in numbers due to farming and theft (http://redlist.sanbi.org; www.huntington.org).