Raphionacme hirsuta flower

The five-pointed corolla of the Raphionacme hirsuta flower is purple, sometimes blue-purple as here. On other plants they are red-purple, while both colours occur in pale or deep shades.

The stem-tip flowers may appear before the leaves from late winter to early summer. The corolla is smooth and waxy above, hairy on its outside. The oblong corolla lobes are from 4 mm to 9 mm long and from 1,5 mm to 3,5 mm wide.

The in-folded corona lobes are not too tight for allowing insect wriggling rights. The corona is variable in colour, white or purple (Smith, et al, 2017; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist).