bobsteelephoto's Favorites

======== Photo Notes ========

1st photo is a habitus shot, as seen from above (the basal leaf rosette can be seen, out of focus, slightly below-right of center). There are two open flower slightly above-left of center...and a third open flower near bottom-center of the photo.

2nd photo gives another view of the upper two open flowers. The basal leaf rosette is at upper right in that image.

3rd image is a detail crop from the 2nd photo, showing its lower-right flower together with that flower's bracted pedicel...and the bracts of adjacent pedicels.

4th photo is another view of the plant looking down from above, with basal leaf rosette at lower right.

The 5th & 6th images are detail crops of the 4th photo, again showing the single flowers together with the pedicels and pedicel bracts.

7th image is a detail crop of the bottom flower from the 1st photo of the series...also showing adjacent pedicel bracts along the flowering axis.

Two additional companion observations from nearby: 169119192 and 169117895...the latter w/ a millimeter scale.

======== Species Notes ========

Flowers of Nemacladus eastwoodiae are resupinate...meaning the pedicel twists ≈180° so the the "upper corolla lip" (or "adaxial lip" = towards the flowering axis where the pedicel is attached) has 2 lobes; and the "lower corolla lip" (or "abaxial lip" = away from the axis where the pedicel is attached) has 3 lobes.

Flowers in Nemacladus mature from bottom-to-top on each flowering axis (acropetal development)...so as one moves down a flowering axis from an open flower, each node supports a pedicel with a further-developed fruit; while moving upward, each node supports a pedicel with a less-developed flower bud.

Some diagnostic characters of N. eastwoodiae are: plants erect; flowering axes somewhat zig-zag (bending at nodes); each bract aligned with the pedicel & enfolding its base; corolla quite small, its tube "cup-like" (i.e. wider than deep), its lobes 0.8–1.2 mm long, white, often yellow at tips and/or bases; filament tube maroon distally; anthers white to gray; ovary half-inferior.