Blakea Subconnata

Native to Ecuador and Colombia, Blakea subconnata is a large shrub where frequent cloud cover and wet conditions prevail. It forms upright, felted shoots that branch near the tips and bear solitary or few-flowered clusters. The flowers are distinctive: five firm white tepals open around a deep pink, tightly coiled stamen crown that presents pollen in ranks, with a short pale style curving from the center. A thick, green, lobed calyx with evident bristles surrounds the base. Photographed in the Chocó region of Ecuador and Colombia.