Hermannia salviifolia var. salviifolia flowers wearing jerseys

These Hermannia salviifolia var. salviifolia stem-tip flowers on Hoy Koppie in Hermanus show only the tops of their five spreading corolla lobes, the hairy sepals covering the rest of the corollas. The round corolla mouths are small, the petals overlapping around them.

Landing space for pollinators isn’t a problem, while a big body combined with a short tongue or proboscis will provide a challenge. Although insect schooling isn’t a big affair, most of them will know before any false attempts whether this is a likely dining destination for their ilk.

These wavy and hairy leaves occasionally present a view angled against the light that illustrates lateral vein curvature optimally (Bean and Johns, 2005; iNaturalist; https://www.fernkloof.org.za).