Asparagus aethiopicus floral details

These Asparagus aethiopicus buds and flowers were seen at Voëlklip, Hermanus.

The fleshy incurved tips of the six tepals take their time from opening to spreading widely and then recurving. The tepals are near white with some purple from the bud stage, even on the insides of their upper parts, colourful enough for luring pollinators.

The brownish red of the unripe anthers and the orange-yellow of the pollen-laden, ripe ones add to the floral advertising campaign. All of this is focussed on ensuring that no ovules remain unfertilised in the globular, ridged ovaries sitting proudly above the tepals in the flower centres.

The stamens match the tepals in number. The white styles are short on the ovaries, their stigmas capitate or head-like (Manning, 2007; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; iNaturalist).