Moraea serpentina leafless but shadowed

This slender Moraea serpentina plant was flowering with no leaf in sight. Green is only present on the wiry, angled stem and the two floral spathes enveloping the flower base (and already turning brown and dry in upper parts).

The nectar guides on the lower tepals coincide with the style branches, meeting their upturned parts where pollinators are very likely to encounter both anthers and stigmas while pursuing food.

Only one of the three inner tepals is erect in this flower. The flower’s shadow appears more regularly shaped than the flower itself (Manning, 2009; Le Roux, et al, 2005; iNaturalist; www.pacificbulbsociety.org).