Tetragonia hirsuta flower

The short-stalked flowers of Tetragonia hirsuta grow in groups of two to five from the leaf axils of erect, upper stems. There are sometimes leaves among the flowers in the racemes. The pedicels and outer surfaces of the four or five sepals are very hairy.

The sepals or perianth segments are rough-surfaced and initially greenish, later brown. There are no separate petals but the bright yellow, hairless inner surfaces of the sepals or segments appear petal-like. They are oblong to oval and spreading while tapering to acutely pointed tips.

There is a dense cluster of stamens in the flower centre. Both filaments and anthers are yellow. The styles are joined at the base, each with three to five branches on which the stigmas occur.

When fruiting commences, the inferior ovary develops four vertical, fleshy green wings below the (by then) brown sepals that close during fruit development.

Flowering happens from late winter to after midspring (Le Roux, et al, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; JSTOR; iNaturalist).