Moraea fugax flowering white

This white-flowering Moraea fugax or soetuintjie was found in the Biedouw Valley during September.

The smaller, inner tepals are borne erectly in picture, somewhat confused with the forked style branches that are also white, erect and petal-like. The outer tepals relax their upper parts to spread beyond the cone-shaped corolla base. These outer ones have the yellow nectar guide embellishments in their lower central parts.

The two spathes that clasp each flower base firmly differ. The lower one is browner in picture and smaller than the tall green one that shows an acutely pointed tip next to the corolla base (Curtis-Scott, 2020; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007).