Tylecodon paniculatus flowering

The flowers of Tylecodon paniculatus, the botterboom, appear in summer when the leaves have already fallen. The urn-shaped to short tubed, nodding flowers open in succession on the large, branched panicles. Flower colour is yellow-orange or red. A flower may become as long as 2 cm. Sunbirds do much of the pollination, being suitably equipped with long beaks for exploring the flower tubes. Nectar is protected from falling out of the often pendulous flowers by tufts of hairs on the inside of the corolla tubes. Old panicles or parts of them may often be seen together with the new season’s flowers.

This photo was taken in December in the Koo Valley north of Montagu (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Manning, 2009; Le Roux, et al, 2005; www.plantzafrica.com).