Virgilia divaricata flowers

These keurboom flowers may belong to a Virgilia divaricata tree. The whereabouts of the tree and time of year the photo was taken are unknown, so some guessing. The deeper pink or partly magenta flower colour on the dark veins from the base and central fold of the banner petals suggest V. divaricata.

Mainly banner petals are clearly shown here. Some broad, pointed wings are positioned rather haphazardly, paired lower in the corollas. Others face down or are skewed to the side. Keels are about out of sight. The flowers of this tree are about 2 cm long.

Some angular, buff coloured calyx parts are visible, as well as wiry pedicels that curve near their tips where they attach to the flowers. The floral bracts may be gone already in the photo. They are small on V. divaricata, big on V. oroboides.

The flowers of V. divaricata grow in stem-tip sprays of about 10 cm long (Manning, 2007; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist).