Raphionacme hirsuta flowers before leaves

This Raphionacme hirsuta plant bears masses of buds still to open and purple flowers in grassland of the Rhenosterspruit Nature Conservancy in Gauteng.

The leaves usually arrive later in spring or summer when the flowering ebbs. The tiny, white coronas in the centres of the five-pointed star flowers also have five lobes (Smith, et al, 2017).