Tibouchina heteromalla.
The Silverleafed Princess Flower is in Family Melastomataceae.
It has also been known as T. grandifolia, T. multiflora and Lasiandra macrophylla.
It is a small tree up to 3 m high that is less often cultivated these days.
Young branches are 4-angled with wings.
Leaves, on hairy petioles, are opposite and decussate.
They are ovate and around 10–15 cm long.
They are green above and greyish-green underneath.
There are hairs on both surfaces especially the lower.
Older leaves turn orange before they fall.
There are 5 to 7 longitudinal veins.
Inflorescences are branched clusters up to 20 cm long.
There are hairy red bracts under the flowers.
Flowers can be up to around 3.5 cm across.
The red and green hypanthium and the 5 sepal lobes on the rim are hairy.
The sepals alternate with the petals.
Petals are shades of purple with white bases.
There are short hairs on the petal margins.
Petals become redder with age.
There are 10 similar stamens with smooth, white filaments and curved anthers.
The style is also white.
J.F.
