Trachyandra tortilis

The flower of Trachyandra tortilis has the star-like structure common in the genus. Six oblong tepals, white with a buff central strip, spread wide. The anthers are pale yellow and green oblongs on white filaments. Some narrow grey-brown to purplish buds can be seen along the erect racemes in the photo. Each flower is open for a short period, taking turns in small groups from the lowest ones up the stalk. This keeps the inflorescence viable for many days, depending on its length and the number of flowers.

This plant was photographed in August near Springbok (www.flickr.com).