Galpinia transvaalica flowers

The small flowers of Galpinia transvaalica have bell-shaped calyces with ovate lobes. The six crinkly petals are white, still folded in neat radiating ridges, topping the buds in picture.

Once open, the white filaments of the stamens may dominate the corolla in appearance, bending a little near their tips under their yellow to pale brown anthers. The stamens grow from the mouth of the calyx tube. The flower parts grow in fives or sixes, the flowers bisexual, i.e. every flower has both stamens and a style. The ovary is two-chambered.

The flower stalks in picture are pale green and distinctly ridged (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002).