Diplosoma retroversum flowers

The typical many-petalled, mesemb flower-shape emerges stalkless and solitary from the centre of a Diplosoma retroversum leaf-pair. The groups of flowers are seen only once the plant has achieved groups of leaf-pairs in a clump that can each present a single flower annually. There are five to seven fleshy sepals around the corolla.

The narrowly oblong, pink-purple petals initially cohere erectly, the two or three whorls of them spreading radially symmetrically in near noon sunlight when fully open. The numerous staminodes and stamens in the sometimes-paler flower centre are then revealed, soon to appear unkempt as the flower wilts.

Bloomtime is in winter to early spring (Frandsen, 2017; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Smith, et al, 1998; iNaturalist; https://www.worldfloraonline.org).