During my recent visit to our local college greenhouse, along an elevated walkway I came upon this curiosity, a flower with corollas that stretched to form long tresses. As the pot label was far below and unattainable, I couldn’t get an ID. Once home, with some checking of my personal horticultural library and then online, I came away with Strophanthus preussii, aka Spider Tresses or Medusa Flower. What I found most fascinating is that once the flower is pollinated, it closes up and those five strands spiral together to form a twisted ‘rope’ (see the thicker strand to the far left of the five strands on the open flower). Below is another view at the thicker twisted strand.
I love that Nature is always full of surprises!
Eliza Waters 
Wow, this is a very cool plant! You need one! Was it scented?
No scent and it is actually a shrub, plus the website said it was very difficult to grow, needing constant moisture and high humidity. From the jungles of Africa.
What a great day to visit a greenhouse and escape the wind.
That is a stunning flower and the pollination process fascinating!
Thank you, Karen. I was entranced!
I also searched with Google lens and it says that this is Strophanthus kombe. Quote:”Strophanthus kombe is known for its historical use as a source of arrow poison. Today it is used medicinally to treat heart failure. The plant has been used for two extremes, ending a life and saving a life …
There are many species and S. kombe seems to have yellow/green strands as opposed to red and has a paler, more open flower. It seems many plants of this genus are used as a poison/medicine. It is of interest that many of our medicines are actually toxic in larger doses!
wow!!
So unusual!
Amazingly different!
Agreed!
Well that’s cool! It’s a pretty thing.
Thanks, Susie! I thought it was worth sharing.
It is pretty. I like Medusa’s hair. Have you seen Bat flowers?
Thanks! Yes, in my search I saw bat flowers, which have similarly long filaments. Not all that common in the world of flowers!
That is amazing Eliza, she speaks to the world so vividly. And just so differently. Like running into a lady at the ball who has truly dressed superbly and stops the crowd in her tracks 🤗❤️🙏
And you’d be surprised how many people never even stopped to notice!
Oh, your kidding me. She speaks so well 🤗❤️🙏
That’s a new one for me – it’s delightful. All local college campuses should have greenhouses!
https://krispgarden.blogspot.com/
Yes! There are three in our area, but this is the one I visit most often. It was where I first knew I wanted to study plants (while I was still in high school). 🙂
That IS fascinating! It’s beautiful and unique. I see that you mentioned it’s a shrub. Very nifty!
Thank you, Beth. Once I studied it, I knew it was quite unique, I’ve never seen anything quite like it!
How fascinating and beautiful, Eliza. Great find and good research.🙂
Thank you kindly, Jane!
Truly fascinating, Eliza. Thank you for sharing.
Spending time in a greenhouse is a great way to counteract cold winter days.
Thank you, Tanja, glad to share. Green therapy at this time of year!
👍
How unique and lovely!
Thank you, Donna. It was quite unique!
Mother Nature Always surprises me with her beauty too Eliza 🌸💞🌸
I love that we will never discover all her lessons in one lifetime, such abundance! 💖
Yes absolutely 💞💞
That’s so interesting!
Thanks, Sandy. I was pretty amazed by its process. 🙂
Thank you for introducing us to this flower and explaining the use of the long tendrils – fascinating indeed!
Thank you, Anne. So unusual! Apparently, it hails from the jungles north of you. 🙂
Stunning plant.
Thank you, Flavia. I loved it!
So unique! I’ve never seen anything like it.
Neither had I. When I studied it, and realized how it closed after pollination, I was astounded. If the two weren’t side by side, I never would have known just how unique it was.
Well, now, isn’t that interesting.
I would love to see it in slo-mo doing its thing. 🙂
Fascinating flower! Makes me wonder what kind of exotic insect might pollinate it…
Thanks, Barbara. Some jungle dweller, bat, moth or other insect?
Very interesting flower indeed and I totally agree with you that nature is full of surprises. (Suzanne)
Merci, Suzanne. 🌿
Nature never fails to fascinate. What a beautiful flower. 🙂
Indeed! Thank you, Robin. 🙂
I thought immediately of our native spider lily: Hymenocallis liriosme. It’s not nearly so dramatic, but the resemblance is interesting.
When I was searching for this genus, I came across spider lily, but that was one of the few that was similar. I ended up finding it in Graf’s ‘Exotic Plant Manual’ an oldie, but a goodie. One of my most valuable books. 🙂 I would love to watch a slo-mo time lapse of this flower opening, closing and all the way to seed dispersal. All that twisting!
That is a really interesting plant. Can you imagine seeing it in the wild? Have you ever been to Logee’s? That plant reminded me of their catalog.
Thanks, it is quite exotic (African) and would definitely be something Logee’s would offer. I haven’t been there in years. I would always spend too much there!
What a wonderful find Eliza, I’d never seen this flower before 🤍 xxx
Thank you, Xenia! 💕
Well, that would be something to see! Nature never ceases to amaze! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you, Kimberley, glad to share!
What a fabulous looking plant. Gotta love how Nature provides such interesting oddities.
Thanks, Monika. I am a lifelong devotee!
Oh my God, I love this picture! 😍
Thank you, Isha! 🙂
Really cool! I wonder how those ropes help the plant.
Thanks, Laurie. They certainly bind up the seed pod… not that an insect couldn’t chew through it. It really is a curious adaptation.
A lovely and intriguing flower!
Thank you, Andrea. Quite fun!
That’s amazing, isn’t nature astonishing.
MJ
Truly, it is!
What an amazing discovery 😊
It truly was! Thanks, Belinda. 🙂
An extraordinary flower, love the first image. I should make a visit to the Wellesley College greenhouse – something I do in the winter to see flowers.
Thanks, Tom. A greenhouse visit is what gets me through this time of year(ning).
Weird and wonderful Eliza. 😃 It looks like something from another age – or planet! The forming of a seedpod is quite amazing.
Thank you, Cathy. It defies categorization!
Fascinating.
Yes, I thought so… thanks, Cindy!
Thanks for posting, Eliza. I had not ever heard of this.
My pleasure, Julie. A rarity, for sure.
That is a very unique looking orchid!
Quite unique, yes, but not an orchid… it is a shrub from tropical Africa. I’d never seen anything like it!
This is indeed a very weird and interesting flower, a bit extra terrestrial.
Isn’t it just? Thanks, Jill!