Anisodontea triloba leaves and flower

The simple leaves of Anisodontea triloba are alternate and stalked, usually only present near stem-tips.

The leaf-shape is ovate, often with three to five shallow and angular lobes and some teeth along the margins. The grey-green blades are velvety from a covering of soft, pale hairs and somewhat crisped. The leaf midrib is prominent on the lower surface. The leaves are about 25 mm long and 15 mm wide to as wide as they are long.

The flowers grow solitary from leaf axils on longish pedicels. There is a collar or epicalyx of narrow, pointed bracts immediately behind the calyx. Pedicels and epicalyces are on show on the green buds in picture.

The corolla comprises five clawed and broadly rounded to flat-tipped petals that spread widely. The corolla is pink with dark maroon to red-purple patches at the base of each petal.

The numerous stamens have filaments joined in their lower parts in a central, erect tube or column and then spreading their free parts laterally around the tip of the tube as in the photo, presenting many small, dark anthers.

Flowering happens from before midspring to after midsummer.

The plant is not browsed (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Shearing and Van Heerden, 2008; Le Roux, et al, 2005; iNaturalist).