Now, I have to admit that the Costa Rican Butterfly Vine was one of my most optimistic-masochistic purchases.  It was an impulse buy, I actually bought it for its attractive leaves, and I really didn’t expect it to survive its first winter.  But amazingly it did.  So I was quite pleased when the first flower appeared …

Then more flowers appeared, what a bonus I thought …

Then I zoomed in on the actual flower hiding behind the purple bracts …

Oh My God, it looks like something someone on an acid-trip would dream up …

Apparently the yellow ball is a resin gland which is attractive to bees, who use it to build their hives.  This is another bonus as I am expecting my native bee hive to arrive any day now and I’m hoping that Aussie bees like Costa Rican resin!