Tetragonia hirsuta flowers and fruit

Tetragonia hirsuta was found flowering in the Biedouw Valley during September. The shrublet is part of the Aizoaceae, mesemb or vygie family, although not one of the easy to recognise, obvious ones.

Three floral stages are shown in the photo: opening buds that are green and hairy, fully open yellow flowers, and closed, brown old flowers with green-winged fruits swelling below their perianths.

Hairy internodes of the flowering stem are elongated between the spaced flower clusters (Le Roux, et al, 2005; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; JSTOR; iNaturalist).