Phylica villosa flower

The flower of Phylica villosa opens in a funnel-shape on a longish, cream-coloured and fleshy pedicel. The plant in picture may be P. villosa var. pedicellata.

The five globular anthers are positioned in the cup mouth, to the side where the petal lobes meet. They leave ample space for the stigma in the centre. It is shorter anyway, supposed to be touched by other parties, unchaperoned as is the convention in plant world. The style ends in three tiny lobes.

Parts of the anthers darken first, as do the petal tips of the older flowers (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist).