Moraea tulbaghensis

Moraea tulbaghensis flowers are dominated by three broad, rounded outer tepals, orange or brick-red in colour. Their margins are slightly uneven and sometimes irregularly wavy. Each tepal has a conspicuous arched nectar guide near its base; emerald green or metallic blue in colour with some black on the inner edge.

Scattered tiny black dots cover the areas inside these “eyes” or nectar guides, the inviting notices to pollinators. The three inner tepals are similarly coloured, but are very small, sometimes quite narrow as in the photo.

The style has three oblong branches with knobbly tips pointing outwards. Below each style branch there is an anther producing sticky orange pollen (www.plantzafrica.com; Wikipedia).