Hoodia gordonii in stages of undress

Hidden cameras in a dance troupe’s dressing room constitute a criminal offence. Not so when Hoodia gordonii flowers unfurl their coverings, revealing all.

If you aim at attracting flies, casting the net widely in gay abandon is the way to go. It renders being caught in various stages of undress a small matter, of no consequence that wasn’t aimed for.

Corolla parts at all angles appear in the selection depicted. A couple of dark, button-like corona focal points, double by comprising outer and inner coronas and loaded with food for flies, are thrown in for good measure. A few closed buds still hedge their bets at this stage of proceedings. How far down the stems the dry spines last, depends on conditions.

The streamer-like grey, dry structure visible in the bottom right is the husk of a follicle, the plant’s fruit. It remained attached since last season (White and Sloane, 1937; Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; Le Roux, et al, 2005; iNaturalist).