Caesia contorta flower from behind

Seen from behind, the nodding flower of Caesia contorta shows its thin dark pedicel. At the pedicel base there is a pale brown bract, about oblong and curved, here shaped like a shoe.

Dark blue central bands, longitudinally positioned upon the tepal backs, can be seen on some outer ones.

C. contorta flowers are often seen in this position due to the sprawling habit of the branched panicles presenting their sparsely flowered racemes at odd angles. The species is not called contorta for nothing, although that relates more to old flowers (Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Bean and Johns, 2005; Pooley, 1998; Manning and Goldblatt, 1996; iNaturalist; iSpot).