Piaranthus comptus flower

The flowers of Piaranthus comptus grow solitary or in pairs, rarely up to four in an inflorescence, emerging from the upper stem part between the tubercled stem ridges.

The hairless, fleshy pedicels become about 1 cm long. The small sepals are ovate to lanceolate with acute points, also hairless. The green flower bud is nearly conical, angular where the five corolla lobes meet.

When open, the five-pointed star-shape flower has ovate, tapering and attenuating lobes, convex above with slightly rolled under margins and acutely pointed tips. Long, whitish or maroon hairs of uneven length are sparse present, erect upon big parts of the corolla inner surface, but in picture not everywhere. Flower colour is whitish with dark red or purple-brown spots and transversal lines across the corolla. The corolla diameter is about 17 mm.

The raised flower centre is yellow, consisting of the corona. The outer corona has spreading, rounded lobes upon the backs of the anthers. The five inner corona lobes are paler, linear in a tiny central star-shape.

The malodorous flower scent reminds of horse sweat and rotten fruit, noticed only close to the flower. The specific name, comptus, means elegant in Latin.

Flowering happens late in summer and in autumn. The fruit, a pair of follicles, becomes up to 11 cm long (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; www.llifle.com).