Turnera subulata
Flower
### Flower

[220x124px\|thumb\|right\|alt\=Parts of the flower and leaf of Turnera subulata\|Parts of the flower and leaf of *Turnera subulata*](/wiki/File:Turnera_subulata_parts.jpg "Turnera subulata parts.jpg")

Flowers occur in the leaf axils, borne in calyces of hairy, glandular [sepals](/wiki/Sepal "Sepal"). The flowers are a disc\- to funnel\-shape, and the petals are rounded to oval, the longest exceeding . They are white or yellowish with darker bases. The dark patches at the bases are [nectar guides](/wiki/Nectar_guide "Nectar guide"). The center of the flower is rough, feeling like a cat's tongue. The flowers grow year round, and they tend to open in the early morning and close at about 11 a.m.

The plant is [pollinated](/wiki/Pollination "Pollination") by a variety of insects. A common pollinator is the [bee](/wiki/Bee "Bee") species *[Protomeliturga turnerae](/wiki/Protomeliturga_turnerae "Protomeliturga turnerae")* which [prefers only](/wiki/Oligolecty "Oligolecty") its nectar and depend completely on it for reproduction. The male bee builds his territory around the plant, for example. Other insects observed at the plant include many other bee species, such as *[Trigona spinipes](/wiki/Trigona_spinipes "Trigona spinipes")*, *[Frieseomelitta doederleinii](/wiki/Frieseomelitta_doederleinii "Frieseomelitta doederleinii")*, and *[Plebeia flavocinta](/wiki/Plebeia_flavocinta "Plebeia flavocinta")*, [butterflies](/wiki/Butterfly "Butterfly") such as *[Nisoniades macarius](/wiki/Nisoniades_macarius "Nisoniades macarius")* and *[Urbanus dorantes](/wiki/Urbanus_dorantes "Urbanus dorantes")*, and the [beetle](/wiki/Beetle "Beetle") *[Pristimerus calcaratus](/wiki/Pristimerus_calcaratus "Pristimerus calcaratus")*.


How many petals do the flowers have?