The "Tiger Jaw" plant is native to South Africa like all the mesembryanthemums. The "Tiger jaw" flower opens late in the day for only a few hours. The flower shown here began to open at around 5 pm. It started closing at around 8:30 pm and was fully closed by 11:00 pm. Unlike the daylily and morning glory flowers, which last for only one day, the "Tiger jaw" flowers last for several days, opening and closing at the same time each day. Presumably the pollinators only have access to the flower during the short time that the flower is open each day. Since the environment where "Tiger Jaws" grow in very dry, keeping the flower closed during the hottest part of the day may help preserve water but by opening before dark, pollinators are still able to find the flowers.

The "Tiger Jaw" plant