Gloriosa superba bud pointing down

The Gloriosa superba bud develops a bent pedicel when it becomes big and heavy enough to bring this about. This position does not change again for the open flower that continues nodding. The pedicel is long, the bend near the flower, ensuring that it is held high.

The elegantly arched tepals, green at this stage, separate a little near the base while their tips cohere fully. The arches will be inverted, swung back dramatically when they reach full length and change colour in floral celebratory mode, quite soon. Tepal colour change has already started in this hanging bud; greener when it was still pointing up (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist).