Ansellia africana winged lip

In this Ansellia africana flower the protruding yellow lip has two curious wings at the base, absent from most flowers. The wings are about rectangular in shape and turned up around the flower centre. As far as is visible they are mainly maroon coloured on the inside, pale yellow on the outside.

The column or gynostemium in the centre of the flower (above the lip), which contains both the style with its sticky receptive surface and the pollen, has purple blotches (Pooley, 1998; Onderstall, 1984; www.plantzafrica.com).