Gasteria brachyphylla var. brachyphylla raceme

Flowering from under a renosterbos, this Minwater Gasteria brachyphylla var. brachyphylla plant produced only a single raceme this year. It is of such a length and number of flowers that the fan of leaves appears puny, acting as support base below.

Sunbird pollinated, the plant provides nectar as enticement. Bright floral colouring does the advertising. The buds at the upper end of the raceme ensure follow-up visits to the same plant a few days later, or extra benefits of multiple meals as later flowers take their turn.

There is of course the inadvertent collection and distribution of pollen upon and from the birds, blithely unaware of their burden as they dine. This fulfils the plant’s purpose in secreting nectar… a service to all and sundry flyabouts with no egos to gloat over the good they do (Frandsen, 2017; Smith, et al, 2017; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; iNaturalist; https://pza.sanbi.org).