Caesia contorta flower

The inner three tepals of Caesia contorta curve back less than the outer three in this flower. In some flowers the tepals only spread, in others all may be reflexed. The rounded tepal tips appear mucronate, showing tiny protrusions that curve variously.

Broad dark blue, almost black bands occur on the six filaments below the white sections that taper to the oblong, yellow, erect anthers. At the base, the filaments have short yellow sections where they curve around the green ovary. This yellow section is longer on the flowers of some plants.

The specific name, contorta, is derived from the Latin prefix con- meaning with or together and the Latin words torquere and tortum meaning to twist or twist, referring to the spiral twisting of the flowers when they have faded (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Bean and Johns, 2005; Pooley, 1998; Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; iNaturalist; iSpot).