Struthiola tomentosa flower

The flowers of Struthiola tomentosa grow in spikes from leaf axils near stem tips. One or two of these sessile flowers may be produced above a leaf.

The colour of this flower is reddish orange on the ring around the mouth while the twelve petal scales are yellow; flowers may also be uniformly yellow. Sparse, long hairs are visible surrounding the petal scales. These erect hairs arise from the base, whitish or golden in colour.

No sepal lobes are seen around the flower mouth, as they have here become fully reflexed, positioned right back against the tube surface. Commonly the sepal lobes spread, being slightly longer than or up to twice as long as the petal scales. The sepals form a long cylinder, a woolly calyx tube that ranges from 8 mm to 15 mm in length.

Flowers exude a nocturnal vanilla-flavoured fragrance that attracts moths. Flowering happens from midwinter to early autumn (Manning, 2007; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iSpot).