Hibiscus aethiopicus var. ovatus maybe, seen from a lateral angle

This enigmatic Hibiscus plant of the Kouga, possibly Hibiscus aethiopicus var. ovatus, bears six or seven narrow, hairy green bracts diverging immediately below the longer narrow, hairy green sepals of each flower. The sepals should be five in number, tricky to count here.

In bud, the calyces conscientiously cover the nascent floral contents bulging at the base, while seductively separating their sepal tips above. The sheet-like, pale petals in picture might pass inspection after a conventional wash day. The tiredness caused by such effort is possibly expressed by the delicate droop in the five red stigmas tipping the style branches.

So many flowers on earth succeed every day in pleasing so many people and so many insects, even though their names elude. Nature is far too busy growing stuff to bother with the nomenclature craze.