Heliophila arenaria flower

Small white petal parts at the base form a circular patch in the corolla centre of this Heliophila arenaria flower. The blue petal blades have darker blue veins that radiate to their wide, upper margins. Some vein branching is present.

The superior ovary adds greenish colouring in the flower base, the six stamens emerging from below it. The pale, grey-brown anthers are wider at the base to nearly oblong, curved at their tips. The white filaments attach to them in arrow-tip fashion. The long style in picture sags to one side, the short, head-like stigma at its tip is whitish.

The four narrowly elliptic, grey to purplish brown sepals are much smaller but sturdier than the petals, hairy and thickened at their tips.

The plant was seen in the Biedouw Valley during September (Manning, 2007; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; iNaturalist).