Pachycarpus concolor subsp. transvaalensis

Many perennial herbs are found in the grasslands of the eastern parts of southern Africa. This one, growing from a tuberous rootstock, is Pachycarpus concolor subsp. transvaalensis. The plant has milky sap in its stems and long, elliptic leaves.

The clusters of unusual flowers have elegantly shaped petals or corolla lobes that are separate or free to the base, forming an open, shallow cup. Other species have petals that sometimes cohere at their margins, halfway to the tips or more and present deeper, more closed cups. Some Pachycarpus flowers are held upright by their stalks like the ones in picture, while others nod. The subspecies has pale corolla lobes and dark corona lobes. It was photographed in June near Mbabane in Eswatini (Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; iSpot; JSTOR).

(There are more pictures and stories about this plant in the Pachycarpus Album.)