Hermannia joubertiana flowers

The small flowers of Hermannia joubertiana droop in small clusters from leaf axils near stem tips on short, sturdy stalks. Bulging, bell-shaped calyces, red, roughly textured and hairy, end in narrow, acute sepal lobes that point down or forwards. The calyx is less than the visible corolla part in length.

Angular folds upon the calyx surfaces end in straight and narrow sepal lobes, adhering to the corolla. The reddish to golden-yellow corolla colour gives way to a darker, brownish hue in the overlap where the outer petal surface hides from full sun. There is elegance in the curvature of the overlapping petals, covering one margin inside, exposing the other.

The flower differences between this species and the similar H. rudis (also found in Fernkloof where this plant grows) are: H. rudis has rounded sepals lacking the pointed tips, paler corollas that protrude less from the calyx and broader leaves with more pronounced toothing.

The brief flowering season of H. joubertiana happens in spring to after midspring (Privett and Lutzeyer, 2010; iNaturalist; JSTOR).