Sorry I can't take clearer photos, the plant is down a steep embankment. The flowers are about 5-6 cm across. The petals look like they're folded. It's beautiful, is it a rhodomyrtus? TIA
No not a rhodie but you do raise a good question: snap is this a shrub, or a low growing plant. . Are the stems woody or soft?
@Cayuga Morning I'm saying it's a shrub. It's growing at the bottom of a gully, looking a bit erratic in structure, probably due to its struggle for light. The bank is so steep, I'm not climbing down there. Sorry, I can't tell if the stems are woody or soft.
@Snap lovely unusual plant. Australia is blessed with many plants available from Asia as well as native plants that I am unfamiliar with and do not have access to. I will make a random guess and say it might possibly be in the daphne, or daphne odora family. You might do a search online in your locality and scroll the photos to see what you come up with.
@Jewell and @Cayuga Morning another photo. New flowers have bloomed. It appears that the folded petals are part of the opening or dying process, or both.
This is a stock foto of the Rhodomyrtus tomentosa. I believe that you were on the correct path with your ID. I have never seen this flower emerge from the bud, so I can’t tell if all those unopened blooms are coming or going for sure.
@Sjoerd I saw that photo too and asked if it could be the same, in a Facebook group. I'll do some more investigating.
It's gorgeous @Cayuga Morning , some people, on Facebook are suggesting It's a Melastoma Affine. Not many have 6 petals though. I think I need to ask the property owner. It's not on their land, but in bushland outside of their border... I can just see a large tree with purplish flowers behind their house.
