Dissotis princeps belongs to the Melastomataceae or tibouchina family of dicotyledonous flowering herbs, shrubs and small trees. Many of these plants are found in the South American tropics and most of the species have warm and wet distribution areas. A few of them have become invaders when introduced to areas beyond the natural habitat of the species, as several of these plants are commonly cultivated for their large bright flowers (Wikipedia).

The cup-shaped flowers of Dissotis princeps appear in abundant clustered panicles. The stamens are complex. There are ten of them in two groups of five each. The two groups differ in appearance, although their structures are roughly similar.

The name Dissotis is derived from the two types of stamens present in each flower. The light-coloured, creamy filaments are curved and attached to pink "connectives" to the blue-purple anthers. The anthers are 1 cm in length and have a crinkled appearance when mature. The five pink calyx lobes clasping the flower base persist after the petals have dropped off. The fruit capsule grows within the calyx. Many small seeds are released when the capsule ripens (www.plantzafrica.com).