The Asian pigeonwings, also known as the butterfly pea, is a perennial ornamental vine that climbs garden walls and doors. The flowers are notable for their vibrant blue color and unique form: an oblong fan shape, with a small, curly petal protected by a large, broad, elliptical petal. The petals may be white or pink in some variants. The leaves are compound pinnate with five to seven oval leaflets.
I am a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and folding and diagramming origami flowers are my favorite hobbies. Inspired by various garden flowers of Yoshihide Momotani, I have tried to make this one. The outer fan shape and inner small petals are folded from a 10 cm square of blue paper and provide flaps to hold the calyx. The attachable calyx from a separate (10 cm by 10 cm) green paper has two leaves and conforms to the three-dimensional shape of the petals. While the petal units are simple to fold with any paper, 75 gsm or lighter paper is preferable for the calyx as it requires folds involving multiple layers. Using 10 cm squares will match the actual size of the flower.
