Larryleachia marlothii flower

The flowers of Larryleachia marlothii grow solitary or in inflorescences of two to five on short pedicels of up to 1 mm, or about sessile (stalkless), from upper stem parts. There are small, hairless, ovate sepals, up to 2 mm long, with acutely pointed tips behind the larger corollas.

The flowers in one inflorescence develop successively. Some blunt-tipped buds in which the corolla lobes still cohere are visible among the open flowers in the photo.

Flowers vary in colour from dark purple-brown to pale cream with maroon or red spots. The corolla diameter is about 1 cm. Flowering happens in summer.

The curiously shaped fruits of L. marlothii that follow, called follicles, usually occur in angled pairs. A follicle is terete (cylindrical), tapering to a narrowly conical tip and base. The follicle surface is smooth and grey with scattered purple blotches. It becomes 5 cm to 9,5 cm long.

Ripe follicles split along longitudinal seams, releasing many seeds with hairy attachments that facilitate wind distribution (White and Sloane, 1937; iSpot; www.llifle.com).