Muraltia spinosa flower

The butterfly-like flower of Muraltia spinosa in picture has three dark purple petals in the centre. The front one below is keeled and has a crest of two large white appendages, lobed, pleated and spreading. The oval, smooth-margined sepals above are nearly white.

The plant photographed in the Biedouw Valley in September has small, narrow leaves in picture, secondary to the stems in presenting green surfaces to the sunlight (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000).