Orbea umbracula flowers

From one to eight Orbea umbracula flowers develop in succession in one inflorescence, growing on notably thick peduncles, up to 4 cm long. When still closed, the ovoid, five-angled flower bud is smooth, grey and purple on its surface. Sepals become 6 mm long, 3 mm wide.

The five-pointed corolla is strongly reflexed, inversely bell-shaped. The corolla lobes taper to acutely pointed tips, folding backwards over the sepals and pedicel. The chocolate-brown corolla, or occasionally rusty brown, is streaked or mottled yellow. The corolla margins are ciliate, i.e. they have hairy fringes like eye-lashes.

There is a prominent annulus, a thick, fleshy disc in the flower centre around the corona. The annulus and lower lobe parts are smooth; the upper parts are wrinkled and marked yellowish or yellow-green. Tiny hairs are present on the inside of the annulus.

In the centre of the annulus, the outer corona has maroon lobes that spread, while the five inner corona lobes are yellow and maroon-spotted. Flower diameter is about 5 cm (www.llifle.com).