Watsonia borbonica subsp. ardernei flower

The faintly scented flower of Watsonia borbonica subsp. ardernei varies in colour from pink to magenta, sometimes white.

The two recognised subspecies of W. borbonica differ in their stamens: subsp. borbonica bears them bent down, lying on the lower tepals and rising towards the tip with anthers that lie flat, while subsp. ardernei has straight or curved stamens held horizontally.

The anthers in picture are coal-black to deep purple. They are thin, tapering and curving to their tips on straight filaments. The filaments may become up to 2 cm long.

The pale pink style in picture has three stigma branches that fork halfway up the branches. The stigma unfurls only on the second day after the flowers opening when the nectar levels rise, enticing mainly bees, but also sunbirds and long-tongued flies to come close enough for pollen to land upon them (Bean and Johns, 2005; Manning, 2007; www.plantzafrica.com).